Beginnings of a Wanderer
by 5 Coloured Walker
Summary: The Lone Wanderer is sent from the Vault into the DC Wastelands. Except he's more than one would think. - Springboard into overarching crossover/mash-up. Good Male, will however end up sticking to the Lone part of Lone Wanderer. M for Descriptive Violence and Swearing. Self Insert. Fallout main-quest/Cannon bit nearly over, followed by more good stuff. Chapters 2-7 Revised, Ongoing
1. Chapter 1: Someone Leaves a Vault

How about a quick preface.

This is... For the most part purely a stations of cannon chapter, and is about half the size of the rest. It can be quite safely skipped, I just wanted it here as a quick intro. Perhaps the first 10 lines are the only things of note as they point out something off is going on which is the lead in to bigger things.

My own writing really comes in around chapter 4, with it straying further from the main story line from there.

Also, I would like to note that likes to screw around my doc's when I save them. For the most part it seems big things, but occasionally I catch smaller errors when possible. Some spelling errors are deliberate, but please let me know if say, all the spaces disappear [I.E. what I just found in chapter 3, by god that's going to be a hastle to change, staying up late tonight], I used to think some errors were just lazy editing and that may be the case, but the server doesn't seem to be the most stable of things.

* * *

Something pulled from his mind. I opened my eyes.

'Why am I boun- oh shit!'

I struggled against the ropes, vainly.

"From where you're kneeling, it must seem like a 18-carat run of bad luck. Truth is…-"

The man pointed the gun in my face.

"-the game was-"

My mind began shouting.

"-rigged from the start."

His finger pulls.

'NO!'

It fires; I bolt upright in my bed.

"-You gotta get up."

Amata steps back, she must have been shaking me… But she doesn't sleep here, why is she waking me from my nightmare?

"What?"

"You've got to get out of here, your dad's gone, and my dad's gone crazy!"

I was awake before, now I'm on edge.

"Wait! What?!"

"He's left the vault, I don't know how but your dad's gone, and… My father's gone crazy!"

"What, what happened?"

"They… They found Jonas, there was shouting and they killed Jonas… They killed Jonas. Oh my god you have to leave!"

I get out of bed, I start grabbing my things putting them in my bag.

"No shi- wait you must have- Are you okay?"

I turn to face Amata, she's in tear's, how didn't I see that?

"Yea, yea I'm fine, but it's not time to worry about me, you've got to get out."

"But… It's not supposed to be possible."

I sling my bag over my back, and then my BB gun, grabbing my baseball bat.

"Apparently you can, didn't, didn't your dad say anything?"

"NNo, I… I had no clue."

"Oh, I'm… I'm sorry, perhaps Jonas was supposed to help you, but that doesn't matter now, you need to get out of here. I've got an idea."

"Well?"

"There's a tunnel from the overseers office to the vault door. They won't expect you to go that way, here I've got some bobby pins, their how I get in."

"Sound's goof, let's go."

I begin walking to the door, but she grabs my hand, and she pulls a gun out, probably from the back of her pants.

"No, I'll go another way, try to get some attention off you. I also stole my father's pistol, I hope you don't nee-"

"I won't, you keep it, I don't want to kill anyone and you may need it more."

"I… Okay, I'll try to meet you at the exit, watch out, good luck. Give me 5 sec's head start."

We left, she ran off, I counted to five, making sure to go slow as my heart pounded, then I began running. Through the steel corridors, I came to an intersection, there was Kendal.

"Stop righ- Gah!"

A roach leapt at him, I charged in to help, my baseball bat squishing them.

Then he turned on me, without a word.

He was fast, but my bat was bigger, after a few strikes I bashed his head against the walls, and I stood, panting. There wasn't any blood… Good, I had hoped I hadn't killed him but… And the other guards could have guns.

Reaching down, I grab Kendal's helmet, taking it off and taking off his Kevlar vest, putting it on before putting on his helmet, and I felt it…

Blood. Against my hair, matting it.

There was no time to help him, I ran, eventually I found some stairs up to the Atrium and I saw Gomez, he shouted out my name.

"Where did you get- Never mind I don't care. E***, you need to get out of here, I don't know exactly what's going on but you've kicked a roach's nest and Mack killed Jonas, you need to go, find your dad-."

He turns, we both hear Andy activating his flame thrower.

"Go! Get out of here!"

I run with him, but where he runs for Andy I run around him, and keep going out a door.

Then there's a couple Mary and Tom, they run out of a corridor, something about their only chance, looking behind them there's a pair of guards and they… They shoot them. I look around frantically, there's a door, ignoring the shouting I run through it, knocking down the locker holding to door open causing it to seal shut behind me. I keep running, then past and around Andy as he roasts some roaches. I run past apartments, vaguely I hear someone shouting as I run through a server roam, I slow to a halt, it's Floyed, just… On the floor, being picked over by roaches…

I kill them, they… I can't think about it, I keep running, Slamming into someone as I leave the room, it's Hannon. He growls and starts swinging, I tackle him, out of the corner of my eye I see Amata being interrogated before we hit the floor, struggling. He's not as strong as me though, not as fast, and he most certainly isn't as smart as me, even if he's just as tough, and it makes it all the harder as we struggle, eventually coming apart before I… Before I kill him.

But as hard as that is, hearing the Overseer try and force Amata to help me, and the panic with the gun, it's worse. At the time I looked up from the fight shortly before finishing it, Amata's eyes were like saucers, and then they become moons when she spots me fighting with Hannon, running with gun in hand.

Having finished, I looked in, Mack was dead, riddled with bullets, and there was The Overseer, against a wall, he spotted me and shouted.

"You there! E***! I hope you turn yourself in young man before you-"

"Before I what, threaten Amata?"

He glowered.

"I place the good of the vault above everything-"

"Bullshit, I don't know why my dad left but the guards would have only killed Jonas if you told them to, which makes you an idiot and a murderer."

"You watch yourself young man because I did nothing of a sort-"

I raised my arm without thinking, my baseball bat connected with the overseer once, and he fell down, this time there was no blood… Amata could deal with him, if the others didn't… Realising I was in the security room I quickly looked around for a gun, but only found ammo, and a replacement helmet, one without any cracks in it.

Heading towards the office, I being jogging, it looks like Amata's plan may finally start panning out… And then I spot Jonas, just…

Lying there.

In a pool of his own blood.

"Jonas!"

I run towards him, skiiding as I drop to my knees, his eyes are open, but are… They lack…

He's…

_'He's really dead.'_

A tear in my eye, I notice a holo-tape and pick it up as I rise. I've got to get out of- I've got to go.

And then I hear Amata crying in a side room…

"Amata…" I say as I walk in, my voice almost as teary as hers.

"I… I had no idea… I had no idea I could do it… I can't. E***! Here take it! I can't! I don't want it."

I quickly take the gun, putting it in a pocket before she accidently fires it into my chest.

"You had no choice, you did what-"

"Did I? I… I don't know."

"You did, now come on, let's get to the door, come on."

Taking her hand, I lead her to the door of The Overseer's room, with a practiced hand I open the lock, it wasn't too different from reactor locks, moving inside I move to the computer, opening it with ease as Amata grabs some things from the locker to the side of the room. Without thinking, I download all the data to my pip-boy before I open the passage.

We move through it wordlessly, and arriving at the door controls, I open it, lights activate and spiral, warning alarms boom.

"We did it…"

"He's on the other side! Quickly get this door open!"

"You actually did it… I didn't think it was possible."

"WE did it. I couldn't have done it without your help."

"I… You could have done it alone."

"No I couldn't of, now come on, we need to go."

"No… I… You could survive out there, but… The vault needs me, I can talk some sense into my father-"

"Your father-"

The door behind us finally opens, I push Amata to the side hurridly, backpeddling as I draw the pistol, the Guards waste no time rushing me.

"Run, get out of here I'll close the door!"

There's not time to fight her, I just backpeddle shooting, the guards do their best to give me no time and to throw my shots off, behind the last one I 'see' the vault door close without seeing, and I shoot one last time, breaking the visor and destroying the guards face… I'll never know who it was.

But. It's done. I'm out. But Amata's in there.

Looking around, the Vault door is sealed, there's some kind of busted up console, and desiccated corpses with insulting signs demanding entry lie around me, with the guard joining them…

There's no way back, only forward, the cave's sealed by some sort of wooden door and wall, bright light streams through it. Rock crunches underfoot as I walk, my shoulders sagged as if defeated.

"Dad, wherever you are, it better damn well be worth it."

I grasp the doors handle, and throw it open…


	2. Chapter 2: A Megaton of Father Blues

'Ow ow ow!'

My mind reeled as the light hit me, creating an instant headache. I recoiled back to the entrance of the vault, looking down and blinking. I stepped back out somewhat more carefully, letting my eyes adjust to the light and replacing the security helmet for my baseball cap before I looked out to the world…

Well… The world was every bit as desolate as I could imagine, before me and over the ridge there was a ruined town, a dilapidated billboard declared this to be a 'Scenic View'.

"Yea, real scenic with all the collapsed houses." Having decided that no-one would be following based on the not being shot at and the vault not re-opening, I carefully made my way down into the town. The town was every bit as busted up as I saw at a first glance, I decided to gather what I could find and look at what I had in one of the more sheltered corners.

And what did I have, Some sort of pre-war bot spewing annoying post-war propaganda, a gun, a baseball bat, some grenades that had me doubting my eyes, My clothes, Bobby Pins, Alcohol, Other drugs, some 'Nuka Cola' that set of my Pip-Boy's Geiger counter and was promptly thrown to the other side of the room, some notes, a sensor module I was tinkering with, And more rounds than most could count [but only 5 10mm clips so hand loading would be needed], and did I mention the bot?

Reading the notes, I first decided to read something supposedly from Vault tech about some family not allowed in the vaults, but their money being kept, and then listen to the tape from dad, well away from that annoying bot.

"I… I don't really know how to tell you this [In person!]. I hope you'll understand, but I know you might be angry. I thought about it for a long time and decided it was best not for you to know [About what!?]. So many things could [Did!] go wrong and there's really no telling how the overseer will react when he finds out. IT's best if he can blame everything on me [That would've been good]. Obviously you already know I'm gone. IT was something I needed to do [What?]. You're a adult now. You're ready to be on your own. Maybe someday things will change and we can see each other again. I can't tell you why I left or where I'm going. I don't want you to follow me [Yea, tough luck]. God knows life in the vault isn't perfect, but at least you'll be safe [Guess again!]. Just knowing that will be enough to keep my going [Good for you, what about me!]"

"Don't mean to rush you, doc, but I'd feel better if we got this over with."

"Okay, Go Ahead. Goodbye, I love you."

And then the tape ended, to the sound of that stupid bot in the back-ground playing some sort of anthem…

"That's… That's it?! You love me and I'll be safe you think and-! Arg!"

To say I quickly degraded into childish swearing is… entirely appropriate, if my Pip-Boy wasn't attached to my arm I would have thrown the entire thing, but that didn't stop me from throwing the tap to shatter against a wall as I stewed, reading the information from the Overseers computer, and hating everything.

The Vault had been opened before, and then closed, there was a map to some place called Megaton, somewhere that could be safe to go to. But then were the notes from some… Doctor, if he could be called that. I suddenly took a hating to everyone, and picked a direction to trudge off in, which happened to be towards Megaton.

The bot flew nearby, spewing more stuff about some 'President Eden', it made a good baseball… For two swings.

-XXXXX-

Megaton was… Exactly like the picture, a pile of scrap metal with a security bot out front with a stupid cowboy voice. Walking through the gate I was met with the smoothest male voice ever, coming from some black guy in a cowboy outfit

"I'll be damned, another new comer. Names Lucas Simms, Town Deputy and Mayor when needed."

"Nice to meet you Sheriff, I'm E***, a pleasure."

"Friendly and well mannered, I think we'll get along just fine. You treat everyone nice and you can stay as long as you'd like."

"Right, thanks."

"I'm glad we understand each-other. Now, anything I can help you with."

"Uh, yea actually, what's around here?"

"Sure thing partner, what would you like to find?"

"… Weapons, armor, food, water, and a bed."

"Well Moira has the first two, up in Craterside supply, it's straight ahead to the left. Food's straight ahead at the Brass Lantern, and you can get a bed a Moriaty's, opposite of Moria's. Ask for Nova, and be careful around Moriaty, whatever he says, he's not your friend."

"Okay, I got that… Now what's with the bomb?"

Stepping aside, I look and motion over-towards the largest elephant in any room, a nuke, dead ahead.

"What about it?"

"Why would you build a town around a bomb? Is it active? Are you insane?"

"It's not like the place was built over night. It's just a place people settled outside of the vault when they couldn't get in. Some of them went a little nuts and chose to worship the thing, the rest of us just ignore it. It's active, but it hasn't gone off, and it's not gonna."

"I… I'd like to make sure of that."

"You can do that, but go easy with it if you think you can do it… 100 caps says you can't though."

"I… I don't have any… 'caps' to bet, but… I'll just do it, I couldn't sleep knowing people here had a bomb at their heads, and I know I can do it."

"Well, that's mighty decent of you… Just don't blow us up."

And with that, Simms walked off, leaving me staring at it. Like, some huge… Thing, blocking out everything else.

True to Simm's word, there was some sort of preacher man, preaching towards the bomb for everyone else, I ignored him. The bomb, nice a round, seemed to be of the simple fuse to cause fission bomb, where some charges would send 2 or more blocks of radioactive material to each-other, it was launched inert… Thank god.

"What are you doing young man?"

"Making sure this thing can never blow up."

Grabbing my tools, I pried off a plate.

"Get away from the bomb!"

"At ease gramps, just need to… ugh."

I pulled out another chunk of metal, and sure enough, explosives, which we're readily removed, I held them out.

"Now I can set these, or you can let me defuse it."

With that, everyone near the bomb quickly backed off, the preacher included. Simms just stood of to the back, being quite grateful I hadn't taken him up on his bet.

Taking my time now, cause there was no old man, I removed some more explosives, and put the plates back on, and looked around, spotting Simms.

"These… These can be yours, for… Whatever."

"I'll be damned. How would you like to be a citizen?"

"Huh?"

"We have a spare house, smallish, got some deactivated bot stashed in a corner, been keeping it aside for someone useful, probably one of the kids when they grow up, or if we got to many new guys I'd open it up for them."

"… Sure. Thanks…"

"Wait! You're just giving this man a house! He tinkered with-"

"Now now, no need to cause a ruckus, it's fine, and it's not going to kill us."

"Mmm, oh yes, however it was going to go in a couple of hours though, it was actually on a delay timer, ready to kill survivors who settled. I'm sure there are many in the wastes."

It was a blatant lie, and I'm sure a few of the citizens could tell, but it knocked the wind out of the preacher.

"Well… That would be a glorious-"

"Save it, dead is dead, I'll see you around Simms."

-XXXXX-

Now, I asked about armor and weapons, it was more to sell my stuff for what passed for currency in the waste… and with Simm's directions I was easily able to find the most bubbly personality one could ever find.

-"Now normally, I won't skip ahead like this." The Lone Wanderer said to his child as he told his story, "But some things are worth putting in more commentary. Now Moira, the sweetest bubbliest person you could ever find, who smelled divinely of grease in the most lovely ramshackle shop, was really a vile demon sent to hurt me."

-The wanderer shook his head… "What was it she said… Ah yes."

"Hey a new vault stray! I haven't seen one of you in years, good to meet you, I'm Moira, I run the crater side supply and help repair stuff, but mostly I do research. Say, I'm writing a survival guide, and I would love to have a forward by a vault dweller."

"… Sure."

"Great! Just tell me what it's like living underground all your life. Or what it's like coming outside for the first time! OR whatever strikes your fancy."

"It was cramped, a lot darker than out here, but pretty good, until dad left… I-"

"A runaway dad huh? I've seen plenty of them before, but not with the big 101 on their back! Heh, perhaps the Armoured Vault suit would help. Say, how would you like to help me work on the book? I can pay you, and it'll be fun."

"Sure, what's this book you're working on?" I took the Vault suit without speaking, wondering where she would have gotten it.

"Well it's a dangerous place out there in the waste. People could use a book of useful advice! A survival guide! I'd need an assistant to test the advice, wouldn't want anyone to get hurt, no one likes that… And then they yell at me."

"Okay, I guess I can help."

"All right then! I think the first chapter will be about day to day stuff, you know, about food, landmines, radiation, that sort of thing. Sound's fun right, what would you like to do first?"

"Uh, getting food doesn't sound so bad."

"Well food and meds. Everyone needs them once in a while, and so needs somewhere to find them. There's a super doper mart some whiles away, I need to know if places like that still have food."

"Sure, where is it?

"Oh great, food is most important, medicine is good. I've got a ma-, Hey you've got a pip-boy, I hear those have maps, can I see?"

"Uhh sure."

"Wow, this thing is great. Now if you. This map is really old, perhaps."

Moira ducks under, before grabbing a map out from under her desk, a rough map of the surrounding ruins.

"Here, so if you can mark, yea that's great! You may want to figure out how to change your map."

"Uhh… That shouldn't take too long. Thinking of which, I'm going to be staying a while, Simm's given me a house-"

"Wait, he gave you that house! It's good to see that house finally has a owner, I've got some things that could interest you."

"Uh, sure. Well, I've got some things in my bag that I found, and I was wondering if I could sell them to you for… Whatever passes as money around here?"

"Absolutely!"

For a while we battered, I bought a radiation suit I thought would be useful, and sold most of the stuff I wouldn't use for some… Bottle caps, she assured me they were used as money, and that she was doing fair trade, rattling of some food prices from the Lantern, and I went my way. I would want food, and then to see my new home.

The Brass Lantern was run by one Jenny Stahl, a matter of fact women who seemed pleased to meet me, another new comer, and we haggled over some food and water, but only in that she gave me one set of prices, and I gave her Moira's, making herlaugh and accept the prices.

My house was… Bigger than expected, but ramshackle, it had some food, some tables, a bed, running [if not really clean] water, some sort of computer I couldn't be bothered looking at, and a banged up mister handy robot, turned off purely through some disconnected cords. For some reason, it seemed to have a condenser unit on it's head.

As soon as it turned on, it began giving me a spiel.

"Hello, I'm Wadsworth, your personal butler, assigned to keeping you happy and entertained, what can I do for you sir."

"… First, can you empty your condensation chambers for me into some of the bottles?"

"Certainly sir, here you are!"

With that, he grabbed one of the slightly crumpled plastic bottles, and began filling them. Meanwhile I quizzed him on the house. Apparently it had a leak, and it was mine, and that was really all he could say. He apparently had enough power for a year.

"Thanks Wadsworth, now would you mind watching down stairs, I think I need to sleep."

"Certainly sir! I'll be quiet!"

Oh the Irony...


	3. Chapter 3: Waking up to Explosions

"Mmmmgmm. It's too early."

I woke up sore, unsure of the time but certain that it was too early, body ached. It was also much too hot… And my mattress…

It came back to me. My escape, the recording, Megaton.

I sat up in my bed, looking over myself, much of my body now purple from bruises, my mouth dry and stomach complaining… For a moment I wished to be back to sleep before my stomach corrected me with a grumble.

"All right already, you win… Just don't break me."

"Sir?" Wadsworth's engines ignited.

"It's nothing Wadsworth, go sit back down."

"Certainly Sir."

I rose from the bed slowly, moving to a corner to strip, taking the time to examine the mess of bruises on my arms and sides, probing with my fingers as I remembered Dad's lessons. For a pale guy I was damn near black in some places, and in many others a sickly yellow, fortunately nothing seemed broken.

'I'll probably be fine in a few days… That'll be my clock, get everything ready to go find him by the time the bruises were nearly healed enough to be without pain, call it two days...' My stomach grumbled. "Alright already… "

Having already realized that showers would be out of the question, or they'd be in rather contaminated water and almost definitely cold, I went straight for the fridge, which worked courtesy of a fusion battery, and found some… geckos, on sticks. A few of them, cooked, bones inside, with what may or may not be spices... It was the only meat, and the only thing not-produced 200 years ago, but there was no way I was putting it in my mouth.

'Well, everything else is just as likely to kill me so let's go sweet… Let's try... The Sugar bombs, but without milk of course... Cereal without milk. Amata would be poking fun at me…'

Amata, shooting guards and-

'Nope nope nope, a busy mind is a calm mind… Butler bot's have jokes don't they?'

"Wadsworth, tell me a joke."

"Sir? Oh yes… I was going to attend the clairvoyants meeting, but it was cancelled due to unforeseen events."

"Gnchk… Passable. Do you have another?"

"I apologise sir, but my humour emitter array needs charging."

"Ha." 'Ouch. That hurt.' "Another."

"I apologise sir, but my humour emitter array needs charging."

"Wait, you were serious?"

"Certainly sir."

I looked away from my questionable breakfast with a dumbfounded look forming on my face. I like to think that just about everyone has shortly before they facepalm, one that said in a manner that crossed all species boundaries. "You've got to be kidding me."

"I apologise sir, but as stated my humour emitter array needs charging."

"I…" *Sigh* 'That's another thing for the list. Update the pip-boy, fix the robot, figure out what the complex looking computer actually does, fix the leak, and talk to that… Moriaty fella. And the first two should take a day… Should be able to pad it out to two.'

"Sir?"

"Nothing Wadsworth, thank you."

"Certainly sir."

'And see if I can update his phrases. Mustn't be a full AI, or maybe that's just limited…' Eating Sugar bombs from the packet, I took out my screwdriver, and waited for my stomach to report 'full'. 'Damn these are bad…'

Finally full, I began removing my pip-boy, setting it to remain active, and began tinkering with the settings using manual over-rides, a slow, painful process, relying on an on-screen keyboard that took up half the screen finally getting where I wanted to go, I noticed something. I was getting a signal, from a satellite, a GPS satellite of all the things, coming in louder than the Radio signal that my Pip-Boy had assigned the tittle of Galaxy News Radio, but weaker than Enclave Radio [Which was probably helped by all the floating drones]. After a few moments of deliberation, I set my Pip-Boy to use its signal, and closed my eyes as the map updated. And…

Well…

I could tell DC was a wasteland but still, and thought it would be logically, I held out some hope, but… it was a little hard to refute what the map was showing me. The entire area was ruins, or wasteland with seemingly no reclamation despite the 300 years… Except for this one tiny-might-be-forest up in a corner, but with the Pip-Boy's crappy display one could never be certain. Zooming in on the relevant area, I set that view to standard, and began deleting old markers such as major commercial businesses, and adding one, where I was, both in local view and area view... Megaton.

My home for the foreseeable future...

Slowly I continued deleting obviously ruined markers with tears in my eyes, putting the Pip-Boy back on when I finished, feeling defeated. I knew it would be a ruin, but I expected either much less or much more…

"Wadsworth, have your humour emitter arrays finished recharging?"

"Not yet sir."

"You may wish to work on that."

"Certainly Sir."

"I'm going to go outside to see some people, who would I see about the leak?"

"Walter runs the Water Plant."

"Thank you Wadsworth."

-XXXXX-

Walking out of my home, my body managed to issue the same complaints as from leaving the vault, except that it was hotter instead of cooler. Fortunately the lights not quite as bad, I figured I must be getting used to the light. Deciding to see about the leak first, I note that there's a valve that's been loosened slightly which I correct easily, and a slight crack, which I can't. The pipes are all metal, and there's signs where new metal has been strapped and welded over existing cracks, it'll definitely be worth talking to Walter, I might as well see him first. And when I see him, I find he's applying the tried and true method of percussive maintenance to something, judging by the change in sound it's probably a pump that just got jammed.

"Hey Walter!"

"Yea- Hey you're that new guy! Fixed the bomb right?"

"Yea that'd be me."

"Knew I'd recognise you, just a little pale and clean for now but I figure that'll wear off soon... Must be bright for you outside. But you're not just here to talk with me now are ya?"

"I wish I could say so, but I'm here about a leak, I found two, someone loosened a pipe and another's cracked."

"Another loosened? Damn I'll have to ask Simms to walk past your house, some scallywag's been taking a liking to that. As for the crack I'd love to help you but I don't have the scrap, if I did I'd be able to make you a plate and some straps in no time."

"You just need some metal?"

"Yea, I don't have anyone to help so I rely on traders and other lots. I had someone coming through regularly but he stopped coming a few weeks ago. And I can't track down leaks myself or go to find some unused metal 'cause I'm needed up here."

"What, you don't have an apprentice?"

"Naw, no one's takin' a liking to it and no one's come though. Every now and again Lucas gets one of the less useful people to try and learn but they're just as likely to watch pumps clog or leave the tanks closed when it rains."

"That's a shame. Well I'll keep an eye out for any metal, but why don't you weld it all?"

"Welder's broke and I don't have a spare, and I don't know how to fix it."

"Well then I'll keep my eyes out for another one Walter."

"I'd appreciate it."

-XXXXX-

Moira's was next so I took a pit stop there.

"Ahh 101! How's the new house going?"

"Good Moira, sprung a leak though."

"That's a shame. I don't have any scrap metal… Unless you want to cannibalize some."

"No need, it's nothing major and I'm not using it much. I figure I'll find some at the store, speaking of which I managed to update my Pip-Boy with a up to date map-"

"Really? Wow. How'd you manage that, my map's still here."

"Apparently there are satellites still that run."

"Wow, that's amazing. Any chance I can borrow-"

"No, but you could hire me so you can copy it."

"Yea, yea that'd be great… But I don't have much clean paper, and the back of my map's already used… I'll have to get it later."

"Sure thing. However I was wondering if you could point out places you know."

"Well, I know a great many, how do you add places?"

"Well, you see you just need to-."

Approaching Moira, I let her point out places, while she explained some dangers and some things she heard. Some places were more like vague areas she had heard of, and that's when she brought up some of the other tasks she'd like, before I interrupted her.

"Let me get this straight… You would like me to get heavily radiated, so you can test un-trailed radiation cures."

Moira slowly nodded, features falling.

"You want me to walk through a known minefield, and bring you back a mine..."

At this point she began slouching.

"And you want me to come back severely injured, so you can ask me how I deal with it, before being treated?"

"This is the part you yell at meee…"

If I had a knife in front of me, it may have cut the wave of 'pathetic' that radiated from her words and downturned face, slouched posture.

"… No.-"

Moira looked up, surprised.

"-But, I have terms. First, the Doc's going to be on hand for the treatment and the injuries. Second, double anything you were planning on giving me. Third, I'm not just going to go do this."

"But- I'm confused."

"I mean, yea I'll visit the mine field, but I'm not going to let you shoot me and ask me how much it hurts."

"Oh. I see… Ok, that might slow things down."

"Yea, but the worlds been waiting a long time for this book, I'm sure it'll happen… Though why you haven't asked a Megaton resident to get more irradiated then normal and then let you treat them is beyond me."

"What, oh that… I can't believe I didn't think of that… That's a good idea. Thankyou!"

Despite the bench being in the way, Moira managed to launch herself at me, colliding with painfully with my and bear hugging me around my bruised ribs, there was no way I was able to hold the two of us up like this.

"Let… me… breath!"

"What? Oh! Sorry, sorry!"

"Thankyou… What was that for?"

"Well… You're supporting the book, and you didn't yell at me."

"Well be careful, or I might have to."

Moira smile took a concerned cast, but it was still downright adorable.

"Ok, I did have a question though, I've got some sort machine in my house-"

"You mean that two-way radio or Wadsworth? The radio's not good for much 'cause it hasn't got anything to transmit to, just receive. Why?"

"Just curious… Thanks Moira, you've been a big help."

"My pleasure, stop back any time."

-XXXXX-

Looking down at my pip-boy, it seemed that all being said and done, the day was just over half gone… I may well end up going bruised. Grabbing some gecko-bits from the Brass Lantern, and asking if they'd like me to bring down my 'whole geckos on sticks', I happily made my way back to Wadsworth, full, with some meat of questionably quality, and ready to play around in a robots head...

It was some time later when I slowly came to the rather frustrating conclusion that I wasn't a roboticist… Well, I'm good for maintenence, but not a miracle worker, and you'd need one to understand the mess of wiring and code that was Wadsworth. Closing down the hatch, I restarted Wadsworth, turning to me he automatically tried his joke routine without prompting.

"… … … I'm sorry sir but my Humour Emitter Arrays need recharging."

"That's alright Wadsworth, I couldn't figure it out, I bet you'll do better with the code over time."

"Certainly sir."

'Add books on robotics to things to look out for.'

"Ok, now I've got to see Moriaty. I'll see you after."

"Of course, of course! Don't let me keep you!"

'Definitely added to the list.'

-XXXX-

Despite the huge sign that hung over Moriaties, and the number of scattered smaller signs, I managed to get lost among Megaton's catwalks. Fortunately there aren't too many of them, so being lost doesn't last long even for me. When I finally met the guy, he was leaning over the balcony out front, and upon becoming certain I was looking for him he smiled.

"Ahh, the vault troublemaker I see, Colin Moriaty at your service! Welcome to Moriaties, My slice of heaven in this berg. If you've got the caps I've got the pleasure."

"Nice spiel Moriaty, I'm E***, and it seems that your slice of heaven could use a paint job."

"Ahh a sense of humour on you, so what can I do you for on this fine afternoon?"

"I… I heard from Simms that a new comer passed through not long before I did, and other things-"

"You're tracking the other guy from the vault."

"Yea, I think he's my father, have you seen him, I mean you run the bar-"

Slowly my voice halted, seeing the look of realization slowly crawl it's way over his face.

"So that must be you then, the little baby boy all grown up. Persistent little bastard ain't ya? It's been a long time kid. Oh your daddy passed through here all right. Here and Gone. Got what he came for and left. I'm assuming you'll do the same correct?"

"Wait, I… I was born in Vault 101…"

Moriaty started chuckling, I was horrified. "Is that what your father told you? That you were born in a hole? Probably said he was born there as well. Oh the lies we tell to those we love. Your father brought you to the vault right after you were born. To keep you safe, you see. I remember it well… you stayed in my saloon after all… That's right. Your father, his Brotherhood of Steel friend, and you, the suckling babe with nary a tit to suckle. Sorry 'bout you mom. Truly. Ehh, but life goes on. Daddy lied. Life's full of little disappointments… And now… You're all grown up and wondering where he's gone to."

I thought of all he knew… There were hints, maybe, this could be true… But the words still feel from his lips. Unfortunately the railing wasn't a real wall which meant I nearly toppled over it when I tried to lean on it, Moriaty reached out to steady me.

"Ahhh, easy there… You know I heard about the brainwashin' that goes on down in the Vaults. From some other fella who escaped, ohhh… Five years back. 'All hail the Overseer! We're born in the vault we die in the vault!' and all that other assorted lunacy. Kid, you've got better programming than our own Deputy Weld. You'd best wise up quick. Wouldn't want anybody taking advantage of you."

Shell shocked as I was, there was the tone of voice I expected.

"Yea, I heard about you Moriaty… Just… Let's cut to the chase, what do you want?"

He smiled. "Your catching on quick, perhaps the programming ain't so good. But it's the way of it out here, for sure. You want something, you take it. Or you pay in cold hard caps. Say… 100. Seems a fair price to facilitate a family reunion don't you think?"

"Cgh, you tell me I can pay or take it, and expect me to pay… I take it disarming the bomb-"

"Was from the bottom of yoouur heart laddie. I heard your spiel from Simms. And yes that's a 10mm at my waist."

"I know, I know... I think I got enough, give me a second to count it out."

It took a few moments to find them all, but eventually a bag passed hands.

"Now where'd he go?"

"Excellent! Your dad raised a smart kid. Really no substitute for the love of a father now is there?"

"Point's Moriaty. Or just one, big point that fits on this here map." I held my Pip-Boy up towards him.

"Well, speaking of dear old dad, he went south east, into DC, to the Galaxy News Radio Station. It's…. Here. Ish. Good luck now."

And with most of my caps, potentially bad directions, and a feeling I would rather have replaced with the nuke exploding, and apat my shoulder, I watched Moriaty turn and enter the bar, a swagger in his step and a bounce of joy in having a mark that swindled himself...

I'd hate the man, but I was too busy feeling sorry for myself.


	4. Chapter 4: Ones Place in the Ruins

When I woke early the next morning, I had a backpack I went back and bought from Moira and already packed. Despite my original plan I set off shortly after dawn towards the Super Dooper Mart, armed with a mostly empty bag, a pistol, and as much frustration as could fit in my clothes.

And some grenades... After my talk with Moriaty, I felt the need to redistribute some mail...

And with the 'Super Doper Mart' so close, I had the perfect target to vent my frustrations before I resumed my search. As I powerwalked over the hills part of my mind noted just how close the DC ruins were to Megaton, but I wasn't looking for my Da. He lied to me, continued to lie for me, and showed himself stupid. He could wait.

On the way, I met a vicious dog, and some sort of giant, spitting fly, it couldn't be a bee, but it shot lots of some sort of large stinger. I was later informed the thing was a bot fly. I noted where the corpses were for others should they want them and continued on.

-XXXX-

I approached the store gun drawn, coming over the hill from behind, taking a moment to stare at the back of the store, which had held up rather well... Even the metal bins behind it, though rusted were rather intact. And then l I heard gunshots. Definitely something to join in. I set off at a run, moving around the side of the store past some ruined vehicles... There were some guys with guns, twirling them and laughing. Covered in spikes as they swaggered under hanging corpses towards two freshly killed guys, each unarmed.

One of the survivors had a riffle, put it up to the sky, smiling, turned to his partner, and saw me, and scowled.

"Another, you better fuck off buddy or your dead meat!"

"Nah, let's kill the fucker anyway."

And his buddy fired.

Not wanting to close, I side stepped to the edge of the store peddled, firing, only to notice one of the bandit's head explode when hit by a laser.

The battle was over quickly, my gunshots and someone else's laser made short work of the raiders left, and when I looked around, I saw one of those floating propaganda bots, damaged, floating off.

'Probably hit by a stray round earlier… I'm not complaining.'

We're it not for the fact I had a job, and I thought that the interior would be empty of residents, I would have left with my adrenalin fix, and anything I found on the bodies. Instead, I looted, went to the door, taking care not to look up, took a deep breath, and walked in.

What I didn't know, was that I had at some point annoyed Finagle, more often referred to as Murphy and approached the doorway to leave the entrance room and… Well, I hid behind a wall, and struggled not to retch in my helmet.

They had… Bodies. Mutilated bodies, just hanging from chains, and there were people walking about, dressed up like those I had killed outside... And the bodies hanging inside weren't burnt and mostly odourless, but fresh and... ripe. But the people on the ground swaggered around confident, they were in their den, and this smell was normal for them.

Everything in me shouted turn and run, and I very nearly did. It wasn't worth it, food might be here but it was theirs… But I had a new riffle, I had rising gorge and anger to drown it out, and I knew these were people that needed to pay for what they did to those hanging. The hunting rifle in my hands may not have the same sighting as my old BB-Gun, but it had lots of power judging by the raider and it's sturdy frame. Going back outside to go through the motions of loading a few times, I entered with anger and courage, and four thoughts as to how I might survive.

The kinds of people to do this were stupid.

There was a firefight outside they didn't join, and they might think the rounds were from that.

I could be quiet between shots.

Between my armor and large amounts of cover, and their lack of armor, I could take much more then them.

This'd work. Or so I angrily decided.

I wouldn't suggest anyone else do what I was about to do, but I was about to do it, as a stupid angry teen too big for his boots.

Lining up against the entrance wall, I sighted in on an arrogant and seemingly blind patrolling raider, and fired.

It turns out the hunting rifle was louder than I thought, but when red bloomed on the guy's chest and he began falling as I ducked behind, I knew I had a kill, I quickly reloaded, switching clips as I listened intently…

Nothing. Nothing at all…

Quietly I hand loaded as moments past in silence, and then I ducked back around, sighting.

The raider was dead, and either no-one noticed, or no one cared… They probably just thought it was another shot from outside, and if they saw they must have thought one of the hanging bodies had fallen…

Idiots.

Again I shot, this time a raider strolling around on the floor, this time his back blossomed as he fell, and I quickly switched out clips in silence, reloading the one I just shot from… It would be harder to shoot radroaches in a snare.

With plenty of ammo, a pistol at my hip, and a baseball bat across my back [my backpack was at the door], I entered, quietly, but arrogantly and angrily.

Ducking beside the leftmost aisles, I circled around, death waiting to come.

And I saw two guys, guns out, walking around in some sort of blocked off area, just a bar in the way.

Bang, one down.

Bang, it's apparently shocked friend down, looking my way, having not made a noise…

'Imbeciles!' I thought to myself as I continued sneaking around, I found another in a blocked of area, his head exploded like a melon the moment after.

Hiding behind a shelf, I heard the rapid approach of a person coming out of a corridor, quietly put down my hunting rifle, drew my pistol, and waited.

She stopped just short of leaving the corridor, and then only just noticed me out of her periphery by the time I had fully sighted in on her head. I squeezed once, twice.

She began falling, her head blowing apart in a cloud of gore.

I squeezed a third time, the third short passed through the exploding bundle where her body began falling, scattering it further.

Still 'sneaking' around, if it could be called that, I soon determined I was the only one still in the building...

There was only one person aware raider, of 6. Leaning back against a shelf, I began to laugh, laugh, and laugh, laughing with my body trembling before entering a full body laugh that had me bent over and struggling to breath.

Moving around the store, I began grabbing guns first, guns, ammo and explosives as I moved about quickly, trying to find everything Moira wanted and everything that could be of use. I noted some fridges and food, and then using a nearby computer I broke into the back room. It was full of food, meds, and weapons.

And a robot, with a single ID card, that should stop it from shooting at me.

I went to grab my backpack, and then I heard raiders… Someone came in over the radio, asking the guys inside to open the doors, and then realising something was wrong…

I immediately ran back inside, closing the door, and running over to the terminal near the robot. I can hack fast when I want to, and I wanted to… It helped to be an easy terminal. Praying, I waited for the robot to start up, go through it's routine, wake up to the fact there was a problem, and accept my ID, before it left the room.

It wasn't long until it was fired upon.

And not that long after, I joined in. The robot took lots of rounds, and returned fire with lasers, targeting those firing on it whilst I protected it from those closing with it, and then those it wasn't currently shooting at.

By the time it was over, I was grazed a couple of times, bruised, and four more people were dead… Four more people that weren't me.

... The glow abruptly stopped when my nose reminded me of it's assault and my ass reported that it was covered in shit.

-XXXX-

Exploring the shop, I found bathrooms with which I cleaned myself and mirrors in which to view as I got over the shock of what had transpired here… I also took use of a toilet in which to vomit. I liked to think of myself as hardened, I was willing to kill roaches, I had killed guards, and I was willing to fight, but seeing the corpses strung up and dismembered and killing those 10 people so coldly, it was coming to me and mocking me. I wasn't hard…

I just wasn't soft.

There were weapons, guns, food, drugs, medicine, water [both running and in bottled drinks], and plenty of shopping carts. I moved around, filling my backpack with the choicest things to sell and keep, some chosen oddly [when will I need a metro card? I bet I'll find out], some chosen for my own survival [food, lots of ammo, more than I could surely ever need]. Eventually though, I had to head back. Fortunately the store had a robot guard that recognized me and only me, it should deter people until I returned. I set off across the wastes at quite the pace.

-XXXX-

Deputy Weld greeted me, and I tracked down Simms.

"Hey E***"

"Hey Simms. I was wondering if you could grab a couple of people to meet me up in Moira's."

"Why?"

"Food, water, guns, meds, and a variety of useful things."

"Found a stash bigger than you can haul yourself?"

"Not without several trips, so I'm thinking I could sell it to the town, and you could sell the right to come with and grab a couple of bits of salvage for themselves. It'd be like your own trade caravan, a couple of times over."

Simms stared at me, taking stock.

"Hmmm, I like the way you think, but I bet that the where won't come cheap, unless I'd like to ask around to find out where you were headed?"

"Not at all…"

"So, how much do you want?"

I stopped, taken aback… I didn't know how much I wanted, nor how much it was worth… I just kinda… stopped, and plucked a random figure from my head.

"Uhh… 500 caps?"

"Done. Don't ever take lessons on how to trade boy, just be helpful. I'll meet you up at Moira's with the caps and the bodies."

Simms turned smartly, and I had the feeling I had swindled myself again… Well, it'd be good for Megaton at least.

-XXXX-

Moira was bubbling.

"So you found it, and everything was there! We'll all right! Tell me all about it!"

"Yes, however it was hardly a safe place to scavenge. Plenty of spots to hide, but there were guards and plenty of guys with guns, everything was only there because they set up shop there, and the best stuff they all had hidden in the back. And, there were a pair of guys in a shootout with the raiders sentries before I go there."

"Woa really! Seems I wasn't the only one who thought it was a good idea. Looks like you really gotta be careful looting them. If you wouldn't mind staying a while to-"

"Sorry but that won't be possible, got a bunch of people coming up here and we're going to loot the place thoroughly, but once we're done I'll certainly be able to."

"Ok, okay that should be fine. Oh, by the way I've something for you, I've got a food and water sanitizer around back, I figured you'd like it and it's worth a bit. Just put the food in and it does it's job, apparently it has everything it needs inside to work for a few more years!"

"I… Thanks, that should be good."

Leaving and putting everything in my room, I came back to find Craterside somewhat crowded, after a little Lucas managed to calm the crowd for us to speak, and he gave me my caps, less that to grab some to be able to grab 'a few choice items', I had my eyes set on a robot that I would soon be deactivating, taking a moment I whispered some details to him.

"Alright, E*** here has fought off some raiders, at least, from how he describes them, and cleared out some Shopping Mall not too far from here, all at his expense. Now, there is more there than he could carry out himself, much too much, and there's plenty in the way of food, meds, and other useful things. He's sold it all to me, and you'll know by me I mean the town."

A couple of people laugh, but most look rather interested.

"So I'm going to make y'all an offer, you can pay for the opportunity to come and claim some of the stuff for yourself early, in exchange for helping to push carts. You could instead, pay the same amount to not push, but claim and guard, and we'll go back and forth until the place is clear, so you can all grab a little bit more each time… Now I'm warning you, the place won't be pretty, from the way E*** tells it, they've got people strung up and plenty of stench, and it's a hilly walk through dirt tugging old shopping carts along, so only come along if you're willing to risk the smell."

Moriaty pushed himself from the group.

"Does Doc Church have any face masks left do you know?"

"Not at all, but I'm going to give everyone a little to organise what they want to bring as far as bags and guns and the like. So I'll meet those that are interested, with their caps, or ready to give a few caps for those who'll not take anything for themselves, at the gate in 15 minutes or so."

With that, Simms took a step back, and after a while, people began shuffling out to get their stuff.

"So… Simms. Who's deciding how much is a little?"

"I got Billy coming with to lend another gun. He's good with pricing things, you get about 30caps worth of stuff a trip, depending on the stuff."

"And we pay more if we want more on a particular trip?"

"Or you don't get some on consecutive trips, if it's an item, why?"

"I activated a securitron robot. I'm going to have to shut it down or destroy it before we can enter."

"Ahh, and I take it you want the thing. I'd like it as well but I think you could be let have first crack at it."

"Thanks."

-XXXX-

Traversing back and forth from Megaton and the 'Super Doper Mart' was blissfully uneventful, if overly slow and stiflingly hot. It was within the store where things were strained.

Everyone was quick to grab their due, often with loud arguments solved by caps and the general rule of 'who touched it first'. Whilst people were argumentative, guns were only touched, not drawn [besides those of the guards with no stake in the matter]. Having ended the robot by sneaking up on it and yanking out a bunch of cords, I spent a fair while looking at it before helping to load it into a cart. I noticed that just about everything was taken but what was bolted down... For the most part we had enough containers but we we're still taking them, the bulkier metal ones would be good for melting down for scrap, and someone found items that Walter had requested to help fix the welder... Even empty bottles were taken for storing water.

Speaking of which, we tested the water running in the store [which was somehow still going, to the amazement of many], and found to be worse than that at Megaton, so bottles returned empty, a larger number in Moriaty's hands for serving drinks such as the booze he made. I was grateful that I had made off with some of the more valuable stuff as it probably prevented quite a few arguments… All in all, people and the town became richer for my decision.

At one point, Moriaty and one of the Stahl's were arguing over a fridge, neither could come to a decision and both had touched it at the same time, and it was the last fridge. Of course, it already having been moved somewhat, they were arguing under one of the hanging corpses which happened to be the decider, when it voided it's entrails. The body had shifted somewhat suddenly, and rotting intestines fell all over a masked Moriaty, covering him and his favorite jacket, causing him to back-off, struggle not to retch, and fling them everywhere, followed shortly by:

"Oh man that's disgusting! That's-"

"Yours, it's yours you can have it, where's the fucking taps!"

Not a single person was able to not laugh after Moriaty stormed off. After it died down we began discussing how to bring the bodies down and we talked about burning them all. Making stilts from the wooden boards that were being used for catwalks, those of us with better balance donned masks and moved them [and the raider corpses] outside, and piled them all up. With somewhat more reverence we placed the two travelers that I found from before on the pile. Stacking it with wood and shoving some in the pile, Jericho produced a lighter and the pair of us watched over the corpses as they burned, and I learned more about raiders than I could ever want to know, and more than enough to know to shoot first, and not feel remotely guilty. In all honesty, I couldn't believe Jericho found a place in Megaton, but he had…

And if he could find a place to settle in the wasteland, I could find my dad, and find a place to settle as well. A surprisingly cathartic decision to be made next to a pile of burning corpses…


	5. Chapter 5: Something Beyond 50's Science

Megaton is a town that wakes up quickly. Once the sun strikes the metal rooms they heat up quite quickly, and those that start moving about make enough noise to wake the dead due to how the metal carries sound, not that anyone can help it, carpets aren't exactly high on the list of desired trade goods.

Instead, recently brought in metal meant that right now, I bartered to get metal plates attached to sections of leather armor that just came in.

"It's not like I have needle and thread designed for going through metal E***."

"But you do have some good quality body armor you would be happy to sell me because Crow just came in, which means I don't really have a reason to stay here another day other than my own interest in the bot."

"Which is good! You get to work on the book sooner!"

It's hard to death glare Moira. Mostly because pre-war puppies couldn't compare in her ability to look cute.

"Fine, I'll get that instead, it looks like it's better than what I've got anyway… But I'm still working on the bot."

"Yea I know. Walter sent down the bits and Simms wants me to take it off your hands."

"Nope. Not unless I fail miserably, I'll be back for your workbench."

"I'll see you when you get back."

I rapidly retreated from a beaming Moira who knew she had just run circles around me. It looked like I wasn't ever going to get a handle on barter.

Which meant Moira was left counting caps as I carefully tried to repair the stores protectron and make it safe for everyone else. IT wasn't a mister handy but if I could set it to factory defaults it'd give me something to test programming on before I updated Wadsworth.

And next to that little project, I was carefully fixing up my weapons, one by one disassembling them and replacing damaged or worn parts with better ones. Something I did with great care and a spare as backup. Of course, having the more experienced mercenary beside me to correct me now and again helped.

"Wasn't that wire connected to that socket before?" Moira's mercenary, a guy called Sten spoke up, smiling despite his tone.

"I… Shit your right. Thanks."

"Add another 5 to the board."

"25 and counting! The remaining parts better be good." A hint of glee entered Moira's voice as she tallied Sten's earnings.

"Oh your just loving this aren't you?"

"Yep!"

"Well to bad, after the laser pistol is done-"

"You've just got the robot whose gut's you're playing around in."

Moira was right, I had taken apart parts of the robot, tightened bits, I had even gotten into it's programing. I was certain I had it set to defaults but nothing I tried would turn the thing on, much to my mounting frustration. And cannibalizing the laser pistols was all that was maintaining my nerves.

Sighing, I reassembled the laser pistol, and fired into a metal sheet, which now had a melted hole in it and was warped. I marvelled at the weapon, better than anything I had been allowed to touch that wasn't explicitly necessary to touch.

Of course, that didn't help the complaints about the loud boom of the laser breaking apart the air along the beams path.

"Keep it down in there or I'll call Simms!" Someone called from outside.

"Don't worry! That was the last round!"

"It better be!"

"Moira…"

"Yes?"

"What if I let you repurpose it, but was allowed to test things on it every now and again."

"The bot? Sorry but no deal, Lucas wants it all to the town, working alongside Deputy Weld or repairing him."

"Does he really need a partner?"

Moira shrugged. "Not a clue. Are you going to accept his pouch or not?"

"Please, 100 caps? I sneeze at his offering.

"So?"

"I… I'll be taking it back home."

"I'll help you carry it for another 15." Sten spoke up again.

"Haven't I lost enough money to you today?"

Sten guard just smiled, arm's crossed.

"I'll… You know what, fine. Moira, I'll grab that armor when I come back, I think I want to go dad hunting, and it'd be best if I got into some better shade before it hits midday."

"You got it!"

With a quick exchange of caps and weapon left overs between the three of us, the merc and I caried the heavy ass useless piece of scrap metal better known of as a protectron back to my place, just dumping it on the floor near the shelving. I winced hearing it drop, and judging by Wadsworth jerking he would have to if had he a face.

-XXXX-

By the time I got to the mart, I was well glad for the shade. The one thing I hadn't considered about the combat armor was how hot it was compared to a reinforced jump suit. Through the boots I was lucky enough not to feel the head radiating from the asphalt, and pure water was good enough for me to ignore the roving eye bots, though I wasn't sure why two were needed here. I took a moment to have a drink, spend some time to take in the atmosphere… Of course, it was easy to sum up the atmosphere of the wasteland.

If it was metal, like the cars still in the lot, it was rusted.

If it was a corpse, it was gnawed at. Or cooked in this case.

If it could conceivably be brown, it was…

That was actually the thing that got to me most, near on 300 years post bomb, and life clung on. Yet everything was still some shade of brown… Outside of Megaton it wasn't so hot, it was for the most part just a little cold unless you were sitting around in full body armor whilst the sun beat down, but life looked like it was cooked off.

*Crumple*

I stared at the bottle I'd been absentmindedly drinking from, the plasting crumpling as I sucked the last of the water out of it… We'll… I should probably be moving on.

-XXXX-

I've come to the conclusion that it's much more fun shooting than getting shot at.

There was an obviously broken bridge where my pip-boy said there'd be a bridge for crossing the river, and yet there was no way across short of a dip. And so, editing out the bridge, my mind was returned to the world by automatic weapons fire whizzing past my ears, after which I noticed a distinct lack of cover as I through myself to the ground where the remains of a wall prevented me from falling into the water.

Sure enough, on the other side, a group of raiders thought it'd be fun firing at me from their little camp on what looked like a small dock which facedthe building I was standing at, something important looking and very barricaded.

They were horrible shots, otherwise I'd be dead. Not that I was complaining, or thinking all that much as I began unloading my hunting rifle in their direction.

Retreating as I changed clips, the firing stopped a moment, then started again as the raiders moved up the stairs from the dock to the road, now on equal height I was forced to hide behind some decorative pillar.

"Arghh! Fuck!"

I dropped before hiding behind a pillar. The thing about automatic weapons is a poor shot hit sometimes. I felt a round between my shoulders, I heard a crack of the metal breaking and my back stung like hell.

'Is that blood? I can move, E*** move, move and shoot them."

Rising, I hid behind a pillar, chips were breaking off and my eyes filled with grit as I returned fire. Suddenly one of them doubled over, his hands didn't move though as blood blossomed through the centre of his abs.

"That's what body armor's for assholes!"

Running on dry I grabbed my laser pistol. I had plenty of rounds, and it should shoot straighter and safer.

True enough, not long after another raider began exploding into chunks as the laser struck true, blowing muscle off his arm. The last one, a girl, turned tail and ran, only to lose the back of her thigh and what may or may not of been a section of ribcage before she finished falling.

"Yea! How you like that fuckers?! Woo boy! You know who not to fuck with now!"

Reaching around behind, I could feel where the plates metal where the round hit. The plates felt warmer, and had definitely cracked, but I couldn't feel any blood… Well, there was no way I was staying here.

That, and there's some that where the raiders were. I could swim the shallow water between iselets, hide behind their superior cover, and check my armor. I took a moment to marvel at the idiots deciding to stand out in the open.

I cracked a grin as I looked to the water, making my way down to it and quite happy to find it to be of walking depth. Having pulled myself onto the dock despite my backs complaints, I took a moment to shake off the water I had accumulated, but before I could do anything else I head some voices from behind, and so I turned to see what was going on.

… My green pants turned brown, as I saw a pair of giant… Things, right where I was not too long ago, one with a minigun.

Without thinking I sprinted for cover, being largish pile of tires that 'hid' the raiders camp.

"A man!"

"I seeeee yoooou!"

Bullets raked the air as I dived, the air quickly filled with concrete dust and rubber bits as the cement around be was pounded with rounds and the tires before me were shreded. This time, I was actually wounded quickly by their fire. Blood dripped down my arm as I lay there, rolling onto my back and injecting stims into me. Pain stopped, but the bullets didn't. Had I cared to look I would have noticed the bleeding increasing.

With care, I pulled myself onto the tires, laying prone on them as I returned fire.

The awesome thing about laser pistols was they fired near as fast as automatic weapons, I saw chunks burst of the mutant's armor as my shots raked the area. Another round hit my helmet and I tumbled back, scrambling back into cover as I fired, reloading after I squeezed the trigger a couple of times only for nothing to happen.

Seconds dragged into minutes before a couple of shots struck the mutants arm, blowing chunks as he dropped the minigun, bleeding profusely as he grabbed his arm. The other mutant kept firing his assault rifle and I switched targets, only for a second battery pack to click dry.

"Come on come on come on!"

"I'm hurt! Oww-"

"So you should be you giant green-!"

A couple of rounds slammed into my chest, I fell back onto the ground, the sound of the water filled my ears as the shooting stopped.

"Argh! Stop hiding!"

'Sorry pall, E*** aint home to take your call right now, please leave a message for when his brain kicks in.'

Slowly turning till my back was resting against the tires, I noticed my laser pistol on the ground, and took out my 10mm. I was a better shot with it any way and… Was, yep, blood was trailing from my chest too. None of my wounds were life threatening, but they were all painful, and breathing wasn't quite so easy.

Taking a slow breath, I turned and stood, taking a firing stance, most of my body hidden by the tires as I fired.

I don't know how long the pair of us exchanged fire for, or whether the thing even noticed my shots, but he strafed slowly back and forth and I ducked up and down in and out of cover, trying to fire whilst he reloaded and ducking when he shot. Without his buddy things were a lot safer.

"Agh."

Or not, as a new stinging cut on my neck pronounced.

Finally, the things staggered as I unloaded another clip into it whilst it reloaded, quickly switching clips as it rose again, I kept unloading, and then it died.

Unlike the others, it just kinda fell. No broken or exploded bits, just finally worn down. Perhaps I hit it more often than I thought.

Though I probably had to, as I just turned around, and lent against the tires. I felt funny, and tired and… In all sorts of pain… and tired.

'I need another stimmmm-'

-XXXX-

'Why is it so bright?'

Squeezing my eyes tighter I turned my head, which felt unduly sore and opened my eyes, covering them with a hand before I realised where I was, and promptly panicked, looking around.

Nothing had happened, nothing had changed, I was still in pain, but I wasn't actively bleeding… It actually seemed like everything had fully clotted. I felt stiff and sore. Running my hands over where the dried blood on my arm I noticed it flaked off as if it was a scab that had been there a for a couple of weeks and was ready to come off, I stopped, then looked at my pip-boy. Maybe two hours had passed, but it all flaked off quickly leaving clear skin under it. My neck didn't have a even bruise, Peeling off my chest piece [after making sure I was alone], I noticed the only wound I had left was in the centre of my chest, being a nasty looking bruise that still felt tender, and… My pack felt lighter.

Moving to check it, several water bottles were empty, as were food containers. The one thing I didn't notice was that things in my immidiate surroundings like the metal in the tires and the ammo boxes lying around seemed slightly duller, and the chips in out of the wall wereslightly smoother. There were also several empty stim-packs but I knew I had only used one.

Panicking I replaced the chest armor, looking around carefully, I moved up where the raiders were, constantly scanning with my gun's recollected and out. Each only seemed dead a few hours. Replacing my gun I crossed back to where their things were in the camp. They were untouched.

Taking the raiders guns, I then moved across to loot the… giants. That done, I leant against the building where the mutants corpses were. This was too strange. 'Why would wounds taken not- wait, the plates, why aren't the plates cracked!'

I was in a near panic as I examined my battle armor, all in good condition, not ripped Kevlar, no blood stains or cracked metal plates. This couldn't be right. But it was true, yet the proof was before my eyes.

Checking my Pip-Boy again, I checked the time, then the day, then the month. Just to be certain, I checked the year as well. Nothing, just two hours.

Suddenly quiet voices entered my ears, fading out just as soon as they started.

"Feel it, the land. Draw from it. Can you feel it."

"I… Yes, it's, like a pulse… But slow…"

"Draw it into you…"

"This isn't right… There's no such thing as magic, so why… Let's get to GNR. Then I can find a bed, and I can sleep it off."

-XXXX-

It turns out DC is actually fairly different in colour.

As I walked through the ruins, everything was just as broken, but where brown normally dominated grey ruled, as piles of broken concrete lay on the sidewalks, metal bars sticking out bent in a variety of manners. I took great care to walk a fair bit softer and pay a lot more attention as I walked, hunting rifle out but assault rifle close at hand. The place was a maze of dead ends and rubble. I avoided what seemed to be a camp of green giants but was forced to quietly follow some guy and his protectron who was muttering about supper mutants as he walked over a corpse of one of those green giants, so I took that to mean them. Eventually however he turned around, and despite my gun being pointed to the ground he immediately began firing at me with some tiny .32 pistol, causing the protectron to do the same. Fortunately I was able to hide out behind a broken car in time for some impromptu and ultimately already failed diplomacy. This however, was despite their pre-existing wound, which only served to let me kill them that much faster.

Of course, the damaged protectron did miss and hit a car in front of me a fair bit, which I was fine with until it exploded. It wasn't the car I hid behind, for which I was grateful, as was I grateful I wasn't hiding behind the nearby truck, which also exploded. I now had a great amount of fear for vehicles that weren't obviously detonated. I wouldn't be staying anywhere near them in a shootout.

Taking weapons and armor, I moved on, and was soon after shot at by what had to be some of the guy's buddies. They each wore similar body armor [which I reinforced mine from], bearing laser pistols [all the better to repair mine with] and a hunting rifle between them, and a note.

Apparently some guy called Tenpenny had it out for me, and they were after me for a bounty. How they knew where to find me and who that guy was were now on the top of my list, and nearly overburdened, and injured yet again, I decided to return to Megaton, fortunately without a desire to collapse.

-XXXX-

Did I say I didn't want to collapse?

Apparently I had forgotten that cars used to be fusion powered.

I trudged towards Megaton too slowly, I felt sick to my core, images danced across my mind. My muscles were weak, and I finally noticed my Pip-Boy's 'How Hot Are You?' Rad counter going off far too noisily.

For some reason, I decided I should be traveling without bringing Rad-Away or any other radiation treatment… It would seem Moira would get her chance to test her treatment.

-XXXX-

"Moira…"

"He's alive but hurt, help me pick him up… His, thing is beeping… Apparently his radiated, let's get him to Church."

"Yep, in three, three two."

-XXXX-

"He's suffering radiation and keeps talking about Moira."

"Hmm, if the thing's right lack of sleep and his backpack is likely more the problem then radiation. I'm going to set up a drip, go get Moira."

"Your-."

"I'm sure, now go fetch her… Damn idiot taking up a bed, coulda just drunk the water from around the bomb if he wanted to get sick."

-XXXX-

"He's awake." Moira's chipper voice called out.

"Mmmm… No I'm not."

"Well, you were right, I'll leave you with him to conduct your experiments. He's stable and should be fine, his radiation sickness should he be cured in a day or so for his sake so I'll give you twelve hours for your trial." The doc, Church, sounded somewhat surprised for a moment before going back to his 'I don't care, unless you'r about to die go away' tone.

"Hey buddy… Sorry you're in such a bad way."

"I think I'm… Irradiated enough for you."

"I can tell, your positively glowing… Now hold on and try not to move too much. Just tell me how it feels and I'll get you all fixed up."

"Just… Fix me already… Please?"

"You're a mighty lucky one you know that, at this stage collapsing like you did should have been the last thing you did, but you were close enough to be seen and Micky raised a fuss… Now, let me take a few notes and I'll handle that nasty radiation with a bit of my own homemade rad-cure concoction… I've never had a chance to test it out on someone as heavily irradiated as you. Exciting huh?"

Drinking some foul concoction, that tasted not-a-bit like rad-away, I soon fell asleep to the sound of her voice.

-XXXX-

"Huh, your alive and awake. I thought I was going to have to cure you, but your rads are apparently down. You'll be fine to stop taking up a bed soon enough." Doc's voice brought me from eyes fluttering awake to the real world.

"Huh?"

"Moira's home remedy cured you. You're fine. I was going to stitch you up as well cause you had a few bullet wounds, but you healed before my eyes, healing slowed as the radiation went down but I suppose it's a handy mutation. You're physically completely fine… But if your skin starts falling off you may want to look for some ghouls."

"O… Ok… Does ravenous count as fine?"

"Fine enough for me to kick you out to eat elsewhere. So no… It's time for you to wake up and scram, you've your own bed to rest in."

"I heard your name before…"

"It's Doc Church. Oh, and she left some more of her rad cure for you, but I suggest you buy more, so you don't have to come crawling back to you."

"Thankyou Church…"

Church raised an eyebrow. Apparently he wasn't thanked too often… I had to say his assessment seemed right, except for being just in some of my old clothes, ravenous, and afflicted with an acute urge to pee in the nearest corner, I felt perfectly fine…

Well then, go Moira.

-XXXX-

I found Simms waiting for me in my house, he was sitting down with some of the black armor I found, having moved the smaller of my tables down stairs. On it he had a note.

"So, your hunted boy?"

"I… apparently..."

"You know what you could have done to hurt Tenpenny?"

"I don't know the guy."

"… What about Burke?"

"Who?"

"Hmmm. Well you be careful, and keep an eye out for people in this armor. They're hit men that take pride in killing and are willing to die earning cash for just about anything."

"I… Kinda got that much, any chance you'll tell me something useful?"

"Yea. Don't bring them into Megaton with you, and don't use their armor unless you want to get shot."

"You're a ridiculously helpful man Lucas." The sarcasm in my voice could have been bottled and sold, but I was a bit tired and if he sat still much longer I would have eaten him.

"That is true."

"Can you at least tell me where I could find Tenpenny?"

Getting up, Simms walked around me, to the door.

"It's to the south west. Far south west."

With that, he opened and closed the door, rattling the shack as always happens.

'So I gotta find some paint for my armor and watch my step… Only one of those is new… Perhaps some cloth... And I gotta pee gotta pee gotta pee…'


	6. Chapter 6: No Hallucinations Please

Radiation sickness induced healing…

"Yea, and I'm a monkey's uncle…"

"Which monkey would that be sir?" Wadsworth spoke up, apparently having fixed the humour problem.

"Oh sush, I'm thinking."

"I'm sure that the protectron would prefer you concentrated at the task at hand, sir."

"It's dead, worst to worse I can't revive it. Besides, I'm sure it'll be happy to just be intelligent."

"I don't believe protectron's were made for proper intelligence sir."

"So what, like V.I's?"

"VI's… I believe their designation were D.A.I's, or 'Dumb Artificial Inteligences'... What are V.I's sir?"

"I… I don't know…"

"Are you sure that you are fine Sir? You seemed to have some sort of nightmare last night."

"Yes, and when I told you to tell me how loud I really was, you said Moriaty might have heard me, I know… Now I need to concentrate for a bit Wadsworth-"

"Certainly Sir!"

Whatever circuit made him louder when he was asked to quiet down needed frying…

But, it meant the building was finally mostly quiet. For the first time in a long while it was raining. Which meant preacher man got a bigger puddle, there were less boot steps on them mass of metal that was Megaton, and there was the pitter patter of rain on my tin roof…

'How do I know what that sounds like? Because I know this sounds different.'

I leaned back into my sitting position against a wall, lying back from the protectron which I had propped in a sitting position, where I used some cords and my Pip-Boy to try and get things to work. Ever since… Yesterday, strange thoughts had been entering my head, all starting with that strange sleep. We're it not for the fact I had the empty packets to prove it I'd be sure that it was a different and strange radiation hallucination, but radiation sickness doesn't occur that quickly… According to the doc a quick dip and being near a car shouldn't have had me in that shape, and he noted the Pip-Boy read negative rads when it was cured… I was careful near the vault reactor so what could possibly be the cause… And what was that voice.

'What was it he said? Feel the land? Well how about I try that, let's think of England shall we… Deep breaths and closed eyes…'

To Wadsworth it looked like E*** had decided to go for a nap, or was trying too.

'Perhaps he's meditating. I have some old meditation tapes and he does seem to care… If he asks I'll proffer them. It's unlikely he actually cares anyway.'

-XXXX-

It never felt quite like this before.

Sure, his skin tingled, his body felt light, it felt like everything was going into a calming go slow.

Slowly, the pitter patter of the rain became a quiet rolling drumbeat, and then became background noise.

Then the metal no longer felt hard.

And then he no longer felt, for a moment there was just an image of him, in a field of nothing, but there was a hum. In it felt strength, control, dominance, and… and…

The hum was taking from him, drawing from him it, it….

"Get out!"

-XXXX-

"Sir! You're having a nightmare! Sir!"

My eyes flew open, I gasped for air that, for a moment, did not come. I heard Wadsworth activate his jets.

"Sir! Are you alright!"

"I… I'm fine Wadsworth… I'm fine…"

"Sir, might I suggest you procure some sleeping pills."

"You may, but I don't think you happen to know where I could find some."

"… No sir."

"I'm sorry for concerning you Wadsworth. You can relax now."

Breathing deep, I looked up… 'When did the roof become rusted?'

-XXXX-

I may have been near death just a few days ago, but I was physically fine and I needed something else for my mind to be doing. Restocked, and better prepped [Say, a reset rad counter and rad away, both Moira's and docs] I headed out, deciding to help finish Moira's first chapter. I needed to do something with plenty of thinking and little chance of trigging more visions. Mine Field, which was quite aptly named hear tell, ticked all sorts of nice juicy boxes for reasons to visit, was my destination. It was however a fair distance away, but I figured I'd find somewhere to shelter the night. Planning my trip I'd head up through Springvale past the old vault, cross the river up north.

Along the way I managed to grab a note to the ancestors of the Gomez's welcoming them to the vault, avoid some raiders hiding out in a ruined school planning on coming back to clear them out. I ended some mole rats and other wildlife… It sounds boring when I say it like that but in truth it wasn't, though it was by no means interesting. The land however was slightly less brown, bearing on it patches of yellow, and to my relief I actually found some patches of green, and not all of it was slime or some sort of weird glowing fungus. So perhaps the land was in recovery.

Hell, it was even reclaiming some houses. Including those raiders shaded in and happily charged from once they noticed me. Saying that it was killing time didn't exactly make me like them much… Their willingness to charge someone with knives and clubs when the other guy is obviously better armoured and has a gun though speaks volumes about their intelligence, or as to how high they were… My talk with Jericho indicated both.

Whilst I didn't think I would get overly far, Minefield came into view around 4pm, probably due to the lack of exploring and not being weighed down or horrendously stick. The town seemed to be in surprisingly good condition, which I attributed to the mines… Which were surprisingly absent until just past a broken white picket fence. Given the sheer abundance of ammunition I had on me, I decided I might grab one or two for Moira like she wanted, before detonating them with my 10mm so as to avoid accidents.

However, the thing about Frag Mines, which are surprisingly common, they have a red light and a simple flick arming means that whilst they have proximity sensors, they are ludicrously easy to deactivate. It's almost like they were made to be re-collected easily and were entirely for terrain denial, for only the stupidest people would be liable to set the off. I just couldn't bring myself to shoot what looked to be free money

I did however find another Vault-Tec note, apparently yet another someone's great something or other was refused vault access for 101, but they kept their money, the very idea made me seethe in anger, but did however help me focus…

Which meant I missed the first bullet whizzing past my ear, and only noticed the second one perhaps half a second there after…

And then, having found cover, a car exploded near me! Again!

'Oh shit fuck fuck shit shit fuck ass!'

I ran further away. I was trapped near a mine field by a sniper, with nuclear Pinto's all around me!

'Who the ever loving-! Someone wanting to properly use mines of course!'

"Sorry dude, but whoever you are you've got to go." I muttered to myself

Of course, trying to find a hidden sniper whilst staying in cover and avoiding mines is… Hard… Capital H hard shouted at you amongst bullets. Fortunately I was either a fast or he was a bad shot… Probably the later. Hopefully the both of them…

Eventually, I saw what looked to be a thinner ruined pillar, and I'd decided that since I couldn't see anyone and all the other pillars where thicker, that the guy could be camouflaged as it.

After ducking in and out of cover a few more times, I decided to shoot it, and then it, or more the sniper doubled over, falling over as he retreated.

'Gotcha.'

Changing for my rifle, I engaged in a sniper fight, with some sniper that decided to stand up instead of go prone, whilst I had no scope… Well if he's gonna make it easy for me while I use this house as cover then who am I to really complain.

Fortunately, whoever it was shooting at me was most certainly not well armoured, and a poor shot, because the shootout didn't last long. After a minute of silence as I sighted on where he was, I began to approach, routinely scanning for mines as I kept sighted in on the area, trying to spot the dull red lights in the sea of brown.

It turned out to be some old coot with a really poor quality, dirty, dinged but silenced sniper rifle. Just standing there in grey clothes, who had set up a bed with some food and drink. He obviously lived in the place, but his supplies were running low. Sighting in the sniper rifle there was some drift but the lens was good, checking the guys eyes he had cataracts, which was probably what kept me alive while the poor bastard had a hole in both his stomach and chest…

"You poor old bastard… Why did you have to shoot at me?"

-XXXX-

Searching the town I found plenty of mines, set off a couple in weeds by accident [But they beeped rather loudly with quite short detection ranges, which meant I lived], set off a couple with my pistol and newly found sniper to help sight it… However with night rapidly falling and none of the houses opening to my skill with a bobby pin, I rested in his bed, trusting the places reputation and mines to keep me safe for the night as I slept somewhere no-one could see me… It was actually my first night under the stars and… Well, you don't need me to tell you how beautiful they and how annoying mozzies are…

-XXX-

Moira greeted me with a smile even as her merc met me with a quizzical eyebrow and a shrug, and a hand in his caps pouch.

"So just how are those hot little potatoes. You know, because their small like potatoes, and explode."

"'Useful' enough as a surprise weapon, but not enough to deter me, or you."

I chucked her one with a grin and she beamed. It was deactived, as much as I was surely tempted for it to be otherwise.

"My very own landmine! This is just what I've always wanted!"

"Yea, since you sent him out."

"Quiet you. Oh and I was right! That means 50 caps!"

"Nice to know there was a betting pool."

"Please, I bet for you not against you! Now tell me all about it. What was it like going through there? What's it like disarming a landmine?"

"Disarming them's easy enough, as is spotting them if you're familiar with the things. But the whole place was a deathtrap used like it was meant to. There was some old sniper who detonated cars near me and tried to flush me into landmines!"

"Well lot's of places are dangerous now a days.-"

"Ghost towns?"

"Good work staying alive though in those conditions… It'll be a great example for the book. Now I know you may not want to see any more explosives for a while-"

"I don't, I'm just going to sell them right back."

Moira continued unabated, like she never heard me.

"- but you obviously know your way around them-"

"Which is why I have more to sell to you and I'm alive."

"Ok I'll just give you caps. Set your backpack down and we can get to trading… However, this landmine gives me a couple of… terrible ideas, for a device that could be easy to make."

"Well I'm sure you'll have full schematics for me soon."

"Yea I will!"

"Tested of course."

"… Yea."

"Well then, that's the first chapter, which means you next want me to get hurt."

"Well… I do have a couple of other ideas!"

"Like what?"

"Well, I'd like to know more about a couple of critters, cause this sections going to be about handling the creatures of the waste! For example, repelling mole rats, and learning a bit about Mirelurks, in addition to how to handle being injured when all else fails… So, let's buckle down for it, what would you actually like to do first?"

"… Repelling Mole Rat's sounds easy enough, I've encountered quite a few."

"Well given the trouble they can cause, I've developed a chemical repellent, I've coated a stick with some to shoo them off. Of course, I need for it to be tested before I can put the recipe in the book. So if you could take it and some extra, I'd like you to test it on some mole rats!"

"Sure, I can do that."

"Good. It'll be easy, just a tap on the nose and they'll be overwhelmed with feel-bad sensations, and they should just leave you alone before you know it! I'd like you to test it on quite a few, like in the Tepid Sewers I pointed out before towards the DC ruins downtown!"

"Can do."

-XXXX-

I woke up again to the stifling heat of megaton, a yawn already growing in my throat. My sleep was peaceful again, something I was thankful for… And again, I was out shortly after dawn.

Having double checked my pip-boy, it turned out that the sewers were a little out of the way but towards the GNR building, which meant that with some luck, I'd be able to kill three birds with one stone. Those birds being-

'Birds… No it's roaches and BB's… Three roaches, find my dad's trail, stay busy, and help Moira… I should focus on dad's trail, perhaps he can help with- No he… Why can't he help… Why is my mind acting up?'

It'd be another long walk, this time, but I'd be able to swing past the sewers to do this section for Moira, and then hopefully end up near GNR before nightfall.

Well, on the way I got dogs… But no Mole Rats… Either the repellent worked too well or there were none out. It turns out the sewers were near some sort of memorial, dedicated to the 'Soldiers of Anchorage', who wore armor like I was, so it must of actually have been combat armor… It also turns out to be a liked spot for initiation rituals, judging by the raiders beating up on some guy, and how even this guy started shooting at me… Or perhaps it was some leader testing himself, seeing how he tossed a grenade my way despite his injuries and didn't run. Fortunately it was mostly tiny pistols when they were all shooting me and I had good cover, giving my laser pistol a work out. And the one guy with a rifle decided to charge me without firing, so the battle turned out to be pretty one sided.

This was also shortly before I met my first Mirelurk, an aggressive crablike thing that was all too happy to charge, had a huge body, and a tiny but obviously softer face… And was part of a family as I noticed jumping off the memorial, a family with babies…

Fortunately, they are rather slow and a little awkward unless they're charging, and at that point they can't see you, so the fight was every bit as one sided as the raiders, if a thousand times more surprising.

This however, was soon to be balanced. Panting, sighing, throwing down my ammo less assault rifle which I for some reason gript left handed, I cycled through laser pistol clips.

"Can people… Please… Stop trying… To punch me…"

Taking my time, I re-prepped, and more carefully walked towards the sewer entrance, only to notice what looked for a moment vaguely like a Mirelurk, but quickly fixed to be… A man in power armor… Shouldering a laser riffle… Pointing it at me!

Within moments the air again exploded into the sound of laser fire. I lost chunks of my armor, I dived to the ground and rolled, seeing it crater from his shots with dirt thrown up, the guy's suit was in places running with metal, my left shoulder was filled with shrapnel. I raised my laser pistol and fired as fast as I could, not aiming in any true sense of the word, just praying he died forst.

Then a lucky shot that should have been useless caused the guy a severe case of whiplash, and bringing down my pistol for recoil I fired again, and his neck blew bloody chunks.

"Ha… Woo… Fuck… You can charge me all you want… Seriously… I like people punching me… Oh fuck… Woo… Yea… Why…? Whoa… Wow… Oww…"

Yea, it turns out that lasers and combat armor didn't mix, neither did repeated laser blasts and metal armor… He can keep his armor but damn I'm down to cloth.

"I'ma be taking that rifle in a moment… You know… If you don't mind… Just let me catch my breath here…"

-XXXX-

It turns out what I thought was shrapnel to the shoulder was just some bleeding scratches, easily bandaged. I checked my rads count just in case and it was fine… But I didn't want to check on my food after last time… I didn't want to think on that… I'd just test the stick and go the the GRN… no, GNR building, and hopefully I can also crash there.

It turns out, that Mole Rat repellent repells mole rats… head's from their bodies. Stuns them to, but two good wacks and they're not worth mentioning. I only really stayed down in the sewers as long as I did to clear some raiders, I was sure that 10 mole rats would react the same as one. It turned out the Raiders had a fair bit of trouble with mole rats, judging by the turrets and the large amount of molerat corpses… And clustered mines which took few bullets to shoot, and the one easily dispatched bandit with a combat shotgun.

It turned out to be that that guy was holding down the fort as a small group had managed to make a nice, 'tidy', and easily taken home for themselves, which they rushed out of once they heard the exploding mines… It was quite a nice haul all said and done. It turned out it took me a day, but I had a metro-exit near GNR, and a nice, lockable, heavily mined behind door, which to rest until the next morning.

-XXXX-

And next morning, I found the exit was right into a Super Mutant home, where also lived some sort of radiation spitting things, all next to the nicest pair of shops containing an all to nice scavenger that didn't bother to help me but was all too willing to part with spare armor plates and other things for what caps and stuff I was willing to part with. But with all I had, I knida wished I could teleport from Megaton and back to unload…

But, here I was, lost wondering amongst the ruins of DC.

-XXXX-

"Who gave you a rocket launcher and told you to stand up there!" I shouted mostly to my self, back against a wall while a cackling Super Mutant stared down at me from his bridge.

"Hahaha! You're weak!"

It turns out there is a very good reason DC is still a wasteland, one I was discovering among what seemed to be a residential district which a number of well armed and quite angry super mutants were living in. As I found a house to retreat into to hide from rocket launchers and miniguns and everything lesser they could bring to bear, I was oh so very pleased to find a deactivated Mr Handy bot in standby mode, with a Security mode available. Robots are fun! I set it up, ducked around a corner, and took some deep breaths, half hoping they gave up on their chase.

But, Finagle decided to spite me, and it turns out combat robats don't stand up to point blank riffle fire.

Let's see, I can hide for a little more, or I can use my recently found combat shotgun… Hiding isn't going to walk.

I stepped out of the doorway, and fired. Bullets raked the corridor [but not me, it seemed as if magnets existed in the walls] as the mutant charged, my shotgun barked for all it's worth, and then his shooting stopped…

The problem with targeting a mutants gun I soon found, was mutants were still big masses of flesh, more than capable of disarming you and throwing you into a wall, quite painfully.

"Can't we just t-"

"No more talking."

"Ough!"

I keeled over the mutants fist before being sent flying from his punch, landing a short distance away.

"Punny Man…"

I suddenly felt him kneel over me, straddling me, a hand reached down, time slowed to a crawl.

'The thing is… You may grow by stress beyond your… current abilities…' He snickered. 'Sort of like activating your spark was caused by stress.'

'It can make you grow, you can use it to build yourself.'

I could feel the thrum, a wild savage beat in time with my heart.

'It can give you strength beyond your own.'

My hand gripped the mutants and his stopped approaching, time resumed, the mutant looked confused, then angry, and then he went to punch me.

And I caught it, and I shoved, causing him to lean back and before gravity could return him I leant up, punching him across the jaw. He rolled off me with a groan and a crack.

'This test, it's about something primal… But something angry. You don't think.'

I snarled leaping upon him, with a solid punch his nose was broken before I was swatted aside, landing heavy.

"My mose! Humaaannn!"

'It's… If what I described before was all in life that grows. This is all that fights.'

We got up, in one corner at 175cm and 66 KG [Pre Armor] stood one E*** ****.

In the other, some giant mutant made for combat, standing at what looks to be 260cm and 375kg.

With a ham fisted blow the mutant stepped forward, I ducked and charged, muscles I didn't have bulging, I saw red.

"Ough!"

We slammed into a brick wall, it cracked, he folded over my shoulder and I dropped him.

My leg raised, I stomped on the mutants stomach, he curled over only to be kneed in the face, almost lying back down before I kicked him in the chin, severing his tongue in a spray of blood.

One stomp, I felt his head bounce.

Two stomps, I felt something give.

Three stomps, I felt something crack.

Four stomps, his head was part of the carpet.

It was glorious!


	7. Chapter 7: SOS For All Good Samaritans

The facts of what I had just done came to me in small pieces.

At first, I looked around for more to kill, realising I had triumphed.

Then I looked to just bask in the glow of my win, for there was nothing else to fight.

Then I began noticing that I won. In a unarmed brawl, against a super mutant. Partially by out muscling him, and that his brain was all over my shoe and some surprisingly well pres-

And then my stomach caught up to me.

"Urghhh! Urgh! Ughk, Ughhh… Courgh courgh… uuuh… I need a bottle."

I took a while, rinsing my mouth out, washing my boot, and covering the guy's head, all attempting to calm down and settle my nerces.

Of course, taking a while means that the other mutant that was after me got tired of waiting for his buddy to come out.

"You better not be eati-" The mutant began roaring as he slammed open the door, stopping mid-sentence and I mid action, both staring at the other in shock a moment. Somehow he reacted first, his face contorting in rage.

"I kill you!"

Having a rocket launcher pointed at you serves as really good incentive to hide behind a nice corner, but away from the walls of the corner, or so I found as I saw the wall pummeled by a second missile and blow apart revealing the outside, however nothing further collapsed.

For a while nothing happened, I held my laser pistol and waited. And waited, and waited.

Then I heard the mutant begin stomping forward.

I charged out the hole in the wall, firing blindly and hearing an explosion go off and a scream of pain, I didn't stop until I hid behind a random wall, crouching, gun ready, ears strained, struggle to figure out where he was relative to me.

I heard a rock fall, I moved to try and get a better look. Nothing…

I don't know how long it went on like this until I had sighted in on the mutant again, I couldn't tell if it'd even been hurt from the back, it seemed completely untouched, if angry, while it slowly prowled through the ruins looking for me. I took my time lining up a shot with my pistol and fired blowing a hole out of the back of its head and causing the creature fell forward and land with a heavy thud, the after echoes of the laser blast reaching my ears a moment after.

It's uneasy, how silent the wasteland can be given the cacophony that is combat which constantly occurs, but in the moments after as I waited for anything else to come out, you could hear a pin drop…. Minutes crawled by before I even dared to breath and allow myself to take stock… I stood alive, I stood with places to loot and maybe sleep [though this was not the time for it], and I stood surprisingly unharmed, despite what the few massive bruises on me would say. It was a near glorious moment, I had to stop myself from laughing as I looked around for what I could use and recollected my stuff decided I'd try to deal with whatever allowed me to pummel the mutant later, or so I told myself.

-XXXX-

It turns out the DC Metro is rather intect, Sure, there's plenty of rubble, but there are lights, quite a good way for getting around DC I decided. At least, if you were good enough to be able to avoid or quickly kill the ghouls that infested the place like cockroaches. I was a little proud later when I found out their name was the one I also came up with. [I knew Moriaty had some sort of mutant bartender, but I never met him and didn't particularly care] Since they all liked to stop and roar I could quickly rush them and fire a couple rounds into their heads fairly safely with my assault rifle or blow them apart with my shotgun, much to my pleasure... Safer then super mutants I suppose.

-XXXX-

I'm not the sort to tell of al my battles. I find it'd be a time sink beyond compare, and how many times can getting into a fire fight with a Super Mutant or counter-ambushing ghouls still make for a fun tale? Some could listen to such tales all day, but I'm not one to speak of them all day. Suffice to say, that as I traversed the ruins part of me wondered how the wastes could support so many mutants, and what convinced them that fighting to the death was a good survival strategy. And I was practically leaving behind rivers of blood- but I'm running on a tangent here.

But fortunately for you, the next thing of import was me glaring down my assault riffle's sight at a pile of supper mutant corpses, as my Pip-Boy clicked to tell me it had picked up a radio signal.

"This is Butcher of Reilly's Rangers sending out an S.O.S. on all known friendly frequencies. If anyone can hear this signal we're in danger and we need your help. Our supplies are running out and we've already sustained a casualty. We're trapped on the roof level of the Statesman Hotel If assistance is not possible, please attempt to contact Reilly, who's made for Underworld inside the Museum of History. We will continually broadcast as often as we can, but I'm afraid we don't have much time left, Keep your eyes open... we've left booby traps and mines to help slow the Mutants dow- Oh, shit... here they come again..."

I frowned as I listened to the signal dissolve into static, quickly setting my Pip-Boy to transmit, courtassy of my houses old two way radio, which I cannibalized to turn my Pp-Boy into a short range two way radio.

"To surviving members of Reilly's Rangers this is… Lone Wanderer, I can see the Statesman Hotel from my position and have just downed a group of mutants heading your way. I am approaching with all possible haste."

Only static returned. They must be busy. I could see where a nearby hospital [The sign said something about a lady I noticed with a glance] was connected to the hotel, and seeing its door closer I approached, the slightly different but better quality assault rifle I found on a larger mutant in hand. People who could use my help first, people who left me to get shot at second.

The hospital was suitably ruined, the ground floor had some sort of possibly senile Mr Handy that left the room as soon as I unlocked the door it was in, and there were plenty of those strange dogish-man-mutant-things with the long tongues on patrol, but not caring enough to have come to their masters aid before. And then there were mutants, who were quite willing to attack and be attacked by the pair of us. I followed the bot through the hospital for a short while. I didn't slow for my usual looting as I wandered though, just stopping for what ammunition the mutants had, moving through the stories at a near constant pace, however with the mutants mostly looking away from my path and assuming their allies were winning their battles, I came through with but scratches and bruises. It took me almost no time at all until I found what seemed like a fallen power line carrier that bridged the hospitals, though how it got here I had no clue. But now I had a way into the Statesman Hotel.

-XXXX-

"They really weren't joking about the traps… But that's too obvious a trip wire, even if the grenades are lethal."

I mumbled to myself as I moved through the hotel, killing mutants and looting traps as I went. All the traps were painfully obvious, leading me to wonder if Super-Mutants had poor senses as I stalked through the halls, gun sweeping for foes. There were ruined walls and dead mutants everywhere, each already looted for ammo or looking for something to kill, I was on my way to the third floor before I found a torn apart body near a locked ammo crate I couldn't crack… I took a moment to stare mournfully at the dead body beside the case, leaving it where it was… I knew not who it was, and were it not for the missing head I would have closed his eyes before I moved on, leaving him in the corridor wholly too improperly, my resolve was steeled my grip tightened on my weapon, finding more dead mutants, these ones actually having ammo. I figured that the remaining rangers didn't have time to loot these bodies.

And then of course, I eventually knew I was close to the Rangers because some mutants were boasting to each other about hurting the rangers, seemingly being smart enough to occasionally retreat, but dumb enough not to keep a look out as they stood still enough I could snipe them. I took some pleasure in ending these one's lives. They weren't attacking me, but they were hunting down people, and proud of it. These ones _deserved_ to die.

I eventually came upon an elevator with a busted panel, which I quickly determined to just be a torn off cover and a few wires unplugged. It ran like a charm once I put everything back, constantly looking over my shoulder. Getting in I gulped, this was something new for me, and I was trapped as I rose, for some reason not having realised how bad an idea this was. I crouched in a corner the entire way up, aiming my combat shotgun straight ahead, ready for anything… Seconds crawled on like minutes as my mind conjured up horrible ambushes and my bloody death ending as a smear, coating the inside of the elev-

*Ding*

The Elevator stopped, so did my breathing, so almost my heart, my ears strained for all the sounds that could herald the many deaths I imagined as I waited… But there was nothing. I stepped out, sweeping the room quickly as I moved to a pillar… Nothing… All that worry for nothing.

Well… Let's not look a gift horse in the mouth.

-XXXX-

Mutants… Well they're never pretty... I never really noticed that their guts were the same red as ours until I was on the roof, looking at all their parts strewn out everywhere. Suddenly I heard gunfire, what sounded like a minigun and explosions from some sort of top terrace. I ran, rushing, hoping to help, only to come upon a killing field…

There was… Not so much ground, as much as a carpet of bodies, all in varying stages of dismemberment… I… It'd be stupid to walk up without talking. And I noticed that there was one last mutant twitching before it fell, body riddled with holes.

"I thought you needed reinforcements!"

"Huh?" One of them locked up as my head pocked around the corner.

"Wait, well, another person, damn I'm glad to see you."

"Hey! Get over here before every super mutant in the building shows up!" One half growled, half shouted as he already shifted his gaze past me.

"Don't worry, I only killed like half of them!"

I slowly walked up, gun pointed down. There were three of them, all pointing guns at or past me looking stressed and truthfully rather exhausted, after a moment they relaxed, loud sighs and smiles abounded as I approached, the gruff one slowly lowering his weapon.

"Hey, I'm Butcher. These two are Donavon and Butch."

"Howdy. And definitely better than the other Butch I know."

"Hah, well good to see someone I don't need to shoot."

"Now friend, it's nice to see a human face but who are you and when are reinforcements coming?"

"There hear, I'm the reinforcements, here to get you lot out, I heard the signal. I messaged ahead, Lone Wanderer.."

"Oh… First I need to know if Reilly's okay, I assume she made it somewhere if you're here."

"I heard your call and I came, I haven't heard of this Reilly, but I do know we should probably get the hell off this roof unless you want to be trapped by the half I bypassed when they decide to take a look."

"She didn't send you? Dammit that means she might be dead… We can talk shop later but you're going to help us get outa here right?"

"Duh."

'By god, was he daft? No, just stressed, and fatigued.'

"I know you don't know me from the mutant blood you got on your boots, but I promise you'll be paid well when we get out of here. There's an express elevator to the floor I'd like to try and use but if not we can go back the way you came."

" I did fix a different one on the way up that goes from almost here to the middle floor, where's"

"Next to us. We need a power source for the elevator."

"Oh… I saw a busted bot in the room before, I should be able to get it's fusion battery out safely."

"That's good… That should work."

"Ok… I've got plenty of ammo and you lot are likely to need it, let's shuffle some rounds about, Brick, you feel like covering me while I remove the battery?"

"In return for allowing me to fire Eugene freer? You can name yourself a god and I will worship." Butch smiled like it was Christmas come early… And with presents.

"Well now, aren't you a miracle." Donovan smilled as I dropped my pack, letting them root around for the ammo bozes I kept inside and attached… They were easy to transport than caps and worth more for their weight. That done, and I carefully advanced back into the building, quickly I moved to the bot, pulling out wires as quickly as I could to isolate the battery for transport before returning, the entire affair was filled with enough tension that you could cut it with a blunt spoon…

But not a shot was fired.

-XXXX-

The ground floor was a shooting gallery, immediately we all charged out of the elevator having stood packed like sardines, we saturated the area with gunfire from automatic weapons and grenades trying to clear the place out, fast. The mutants were surprised, most of them gunned down shortly after turning to see what the ding was, and the rest didn't get much of a chance to react, only just getting to cover before being blown out of it. In seconds they were dead and we were running out the door, eyes wide open and guns to our shoulders, sweeping the street for mutants. I let the rangers guide me towards their compound through the DC ruins. It felt good not having to cover my own back for once, despite us not having stopped to loot… By the time we arrived at their HQ, I was out of rounds for my sniper rifle, and we had kills ranging from stupid raiders to large mutants packing heavy weapons under my belt.

-XXXX-

The rangers HQ was well concealed, the entrance being a non-descript door hidden in one of the numerous concrete alcoves that dotted the DC ruins, effectively hidden in plain sight… And being so, it was every bit as ruined, so if you found and got past the door, you would think it just another building among the DC alleys, and have your guard down.

But to get inside, you had to pass through a thick metal door, that only opened from the inside, with a voice system or keypad being used for entry, depending on if you knew the code, and when I saw the inside… Well the outside may have looked like it needed demolishing, but inside was cleaner than my place… Though Bricks helmet spoiled that when she sent it as rolling down the stairs the moment the door was closed.

"It's good to get my head out of that… I need a shower, I stink like a mutant."

"Well you're not much prettier."

"Wait, you guys have showers?"

"Yea, don't you?"

"Well I don't know what exactly you lot were planning for when we all arrived here but I think I can call dibs on the shower…"

Butch laughed.

"I think you've earned that. There are two and they're communal, but I think we can let you have some water. Where you from that you don't have one?"

"Megaton."

"That's a long walk, I would've thought you'd be from Rivet City. Why were you passing through?"

"I… I'll tell you after the shower, you have no idea how good that sounds and I'd prefer to talk more relaxed."

"… I think we can do that stranger. I think we can do that." Butch sounded down right fatherly, and I swear I could hear angels.

-XXXX-

"Haaaoot!"

I damn near leaped out of the shower, expecting it to be cold instead of what must have been 130F.

"Yea! Those are my caps now Brick!"

"Oh shush."

"Thanks for the warning! Is there-!"

"No! It's jammed! Just try to relax some, take it slowly."

It had been… God, what, a week, two? Since I'd last had a shower, which were at most kept to lukewarm in the Vault, and I knew what wonders they could do. But hot, running water…

"Ohhh… Ughhh yea…"

"I'll take them back now Donavan!"

"Let a man shower in peace!"

"What about we send Brick down instead?!"

"No thanks!"

"Damn, I didn't think I was actually as ugly as a mutant!"

"Might be the armor making you all big and green."

"Haha." Brick called back, her voice flat, if there wasn't a wall in the way she'd probably be giving me the finger.

It… I was informed that water was effectively unlimited, but radioactively contaminated, but it was working such wonders on my bodies aching muscles and pained bruises… It felt almost as good as a massage… I could just feel my body relax as the stress of the wasteland shed away with the water.

'It's been so long since I've had one of these… There almost as good as the ones at home.'

'Home… The vault… We didn't have hot water shower.'

'Do you really believe that the vault was home still..? You know what's in the middle of believe don't you?'

'Get out of my head… I need to find dad.'

'Well… I think your clooossee.'

The voice only faded away to be replaced by a new one.

"Alone times up kid. I'm getting my shower now so if you're the prudish now's the time to get dressed." Brick barged in, wearing just what she war under her armor and covered in a layer of sweat and concrete dust.

"While you're staring at me?"

"Yea. You are a scrawny lad aren't ya? Somehow in the 10 minutes I think you grew taller in my mind."

"What, thinking of propositioning your savior?"

"You'll have to save me a couple of more times first, and those opportunities don't come up often."

"Well if that's the way it is… I'm going to get dressed though."

"What, embarrassed?"

"Well I am buck naked."

"True. I'll look away for ya softy. Donovan and Butcher are upstairs next to the radio, trying to hail Reilly."

"I… Thanks." I nodded, turning of the shower I was using and finding my clothes… It was almost sacrilege putting them back on after the shower, but I only brought what I was wearing…

Damn, I feel grimy again already.

-XXXX-

"Lone Wanderer or Mysterious Stranger?" Donovan spoke up, not even turning as I walked up.

"Excuse me?"

"Your nickname? I think you've earned the right to choose yours, though I did bet Donovon you'd stick with the one you used." Butch spoke up this time, also not looking up from the radio, switching between stations.

"Well I don't feel to mysterious, so how about lone?"

"Sure. Now I know it's not much compared to our lives, but how do you feel about this being a place you can call home?" Now he did look up.

I stood dumbfounded starring at Butcher, I think my mouth opened a time or two before I got my words.

"I'd be glad. Besides, I like the water."

"Ha, can we keep him?" I could tell Donovon was wearing a shit eating smile just from looking at the back of his head.

"Please, he can keep us. Finished setting up that recording Don?"

"Yep, I'll put it in for repeat and we'll know the moment Reilly hears it."

"Good. I think we've earned a rest day… Well Loner. I think we've got spare body armor you can use to patch up yours unless you want to keep it as is-" I inwardly winced, it turned out I didn't need to get into this grimy crap. I'd need another shower. "-and ammo to restock. But are you happy to entertain an old man with a round of 20 questions?"

"I don't think my life's interesting enough for 20, but I'm happy to give you a couple to start with."

"Hmm. Well let's go with what we're you doing that brought you to saving us?"

"I was looking for the GNR building to track down my dad when I heard the distress signal… What we're you doing that got you trapped?"

"Well you we're rather lost kid. We we're taking a look at the hospital and clearing mutants in the area. Who's your dad that you've had to go looking for him?"

"… James, James ****, he's a scientist apparently from the-"

"Wait, James… I know that name. Donovan where do I know that name from?"

"Hmmm…. Doctor… Left after he had a kid, some guy from Rivet- Hey, he was the guy from Project Purity right?"

"Thought I knew it. So he's out and about again?"

"Yea. Uhh, Rivet city, I've heard it's near here I've got a mark on my Pip-Boy-"

"Yea I can check it, bring it up… The Doc's name, the one that came back all bitter. Doc Li, works at Rivet. I suggest you see her about him, tell her I sent you."

"I… Thanks, you've no idea how much this means to me."

"Oh I think I do boy, I can see it on your face clear as day… Now I don't think my side of the debts repaid, and it may not be for a while, but a good turn definitely deserves another."

"Hey, you mind if I grab some of these other places from your Pip-Boy? Just some we don't know."

"I… Sure…"

"Thanks kid, and the info's right, Rivet City is not too far from here at all. Guards shouldn't stall you long if you wear our armor, particularly clean. You've done right by us, so it's only fair we do right by you. It's near on night though so I think you should rest first though… We've spare bunks."

"Yea… I think I'll turn in early though, get an early start."

"I think you've earned that much kid. People will hear about your good turns, hopefully a few can do the same for you..."


	8. Chapter 8: Warmer Trails

I awoke bright and early, staring at an unusual steel ceiling, and after a moment I sighed, realizing that no, there were no mines for me to worry about. Looking around I noticed Butcher and Brick sleeping off in the bunk beds, it didn't take me long to get my things, but I did so quietly, I'd be able to get fully dressed by the door.

"Hey Wanderer."

'Ahh, that's where Donovan was.' "Hey Don. You get word back?"

"Yea. Reilly's fine and coming home. I take it you're going now."

"Yep… Happy trails."

"Yea buddy, happy trails, though I don't think I'm allowed to wish you safe ones."

-XXXX-

He could have. The ruins seemed much emptier, for a moment I thought perhaps we killed everything, but only jokingly… Of course, nature chose to respond with super mutants, who somehow had miniguns…

"Do you guys have a distribute?!"

"Stop Talking!"

*Bang*

"Budda bump bump bump, another one bites the dust!"

"I'll wear your-! Owww!"

-XXXX-

It turns out I was smart to keep metro tickets… You see, it means you can activate Protectrons in the tunnels, and let them deal with raiders, save ammunition, earn stuff for little effort, even spare parts for your favorite robot…

It's actually quite entertaining, picking off people who are paying attention to someone else, soothing almost… However being that I was getting out of the subway in not to long it would mostly be useful in being an easy kill for prepared scavengers and hurting raiders.

-XXXX-

Rivet City is… Well, a large broken boat. It looks like it, it is it, and it's even quite easy to find if you don't know what to look for. I personally wondered what sort of guards they had, however I approached with mounting dread, I was coming a step closer to the man who left me to die at the hands of a madman… In the hope that he could explain himself, and hopefully what was happening to me.

"Particularly what's happening to me…"

So far, protection seemed to be maybe a guy with a gun, and a corridor that you had to use unless you wanted a swim and to try and climb up it, something to which I said good luck…

Scratch that, an extending bridge, with a bum across the other end first, and an intercom.

"Please, some water. Do you have any water?"

"I've got some pure water, but not much. I take it your setting of Gieges?"

"I, I can just have it… Oh happy day, I am, but I can't afford any Rad-Away or other treatments, I don't have any skills."

"Well how about some water now, and I'll see if I can talk to someone on the other side about getting you a job."

"I… Yes, thank you!"

Giving him a bottle of water I moved over to the intercom, depressing the button.

"So is this thing here just for show?"

"Welcome to Rivet City, please wait while the bridge extends."

"It's not like I can do anything else... Though that bridge seems to be swinging more than anything else."

"A comedian, lucky us."

Waiting for the bridge to line up, I noticed that it was in fact, one guy, in some sort of combat armor with a rifle...

"Hold it right there. State your business in Rivet City Ranger."

"New voice. I'm looking for Doctor Li, I'm hoping she can help me find someone."

"And who might that be? If it's someone else on this boat I probably know him."

"That'd be one James ****, a scientist."

"… Nope, no clue. You can go on in. If I hear about any trouble, you're going to end up face down in the river."

"Don't worry, I wouldn't want to surprise anyone with a red drink."

"Gnnck. Funny, try not to be. Li should be in the labs. Basically a turn to the common area, straight ahead then left past the church, then it should be on your right."

"Thank you."

-XXXX-

First place I entered was some sort of market, it looked it just from the setup, a couple of tents in the middle of a largish room. My back told me I was carrying enough stuff to sell, so I decided to dawdle for a moment… Stores were separated a bit, so I went though a few… Including a chems dealer who was definitely self-sampling. I sold her what alcohol, tobacco and other drugs I found for anti-rad drugs and stimpacks as quickly as possible. Picking up a 10mm silencer was nice, though it may not be the most useful thing, except when it would be… However there wasn't a great deal available so mostly I just unloaded, to my backs unending pleasure…

Of course, I was told not to long ago by my back that I had its unending pleasure due to the shower, so I took it with a grain of salt and the thought to look for a massage… Not that such would be happening any time soon. Which left me time to get lost in the maze of steel, having forgotten my directions, and wishing the place had proper signs, not just things hanging above the doors-

"Ahh, science lab."

"Look Dr. Zimmer, I don't know about your run away robot and I don't care, this lab is about solving real problems."

"Yes yes yes… But Dr. Li"

"Dr. Li is trying to save lives, and your constant interruptions are interfering with those efforts. Now please, stand aside."

"I'm sure the doctors good work with water purification is fascinating-"

"Well it is to me and sounds a lot more useful then tracking down a stray droid."

"Excuse me young man?"

"Well you like drinking water don't you? Stuff that won't kill you?"

"I-"

"Should be leaving. Or at least waiting until the nice Dr. Li is done with whatever experiment she is currently performing."

Dr. Zimmerman just glared at me, the women he was arguing with flashed a smile before turning. With a shake of his head the Dr. moved on, I think the women's shoulders dropped slightly.

"Well that's one problem, what about you?"

"Unfortunately enough, I'm also after a slice of her kind. I'd like to know if she knows anything about James ****, it'll be a second and I'll be out of her hair…"

"It will be a second, but-."

"No, I think he can have a second… You… look so much like him… Your James' son aren't you? What are you doing here?"

"I… Have you seen him?"

"I… Yes, he showed up not too long ago, after having been gone for so long… He, approached me about Project Purity, a project we were all working on, but, you have to understand I- we all moved on. Even if your father hasn't."

"I…I'm trying to find my father. Have you seen him?"

"You mean you haven't? I assumed he sent you here… For that matter, aren't you supposed to be in a vault? James said he left you there."

"I… I was forced out, so I'm looking for him."

"I… I'm sorry. You won't find him here though, he's been and gone already."

"Do you know where?"

"He… Insisted we had to return to the project, I said no, to much time had passed, and that it wasn't going to work.. He predictably ignored me and headed off to the old lab. I'm sorry, I don't know what else to tell you…"

"How about where the place is?"

"Oh.. it's in the old Jefferson memorial building not too far from here, to the north west. Please, don't go after him, it was foolish of him to even go there alone so foolishly."

"Well then I can go get him out of there, now is there anything at all you can do to help me out."

"I… I'm sorry, but I've got problems of my own. No."

"Are you sure?"

"I… No… I'm sorry."

"Well… Thank you, for letting me know where he is… I've got to go, I'm burning daylight."

"Good luck."

Turning on the spot I began jogging out of the ship. My father had things to answer for, I couldn't let him be dying on me… Even if I was just pulling teeth… Some people need to learn to get to the point and not speak in circles.

-XXXX-

It turns out that the Jefferson Memorial is actually very close, and easy to spot. My feet glided over the ground as I moved, slowing just for a moment to shoot a board wielding super mutant on the way… But like many good spots it was, quite predictably, filled with Super mutants who shot on sight. And like just about always, I had superior cover, intelligence, armor and weapons… It was like swatting aside really heavy flies more than anything else.

Inside though, was a very different story. There were long corridors, and I heard firing ahead, I tucked my shoulder and charged, combat shotgun to shoulder ready to fire whenever I closed the distance. There was no cover so I tried to move sideways every now and again, but I don't know how I got through, this batch of mutants must have had horrible aim… And weapons. Unfortunately for the mutants there's only so much muscle can do against shotgun shells.

I did however slow down once I noticed the weapons fire was between mutants and turrets, however I had to curse when they turned on me. I moved through the halls quickly, going loud, hoping to attract attention, and boy did I get it. One time I even got to put my shotgun to a mutants skull, blowing it's head away, splattering a nearby wall with blood and bone…

And what did I find, some holo-tapes, and a way to expend ammo…

I… There was nothing else to do.

So, I heard of how he risked our place in the vault, as a drunk. But I heard what he was going to do… And…

If it was anything like I thought, it was a noble cause, executed in an idiotic fashion. I thought of Jonas, he would berate James if he was still alive… If Jonas…

My tears fell upon my hands as I looked at myself in the glass, trying to calm myself, looking for anything that could help… Eventually I gave up, sitting against a wall… All I had were names of places that weren't even on the Rangers maps, and they weren't on the GPS's list of known places. I frantically looked through the data I stole from 101 and came up empty, cursing I lent against one of the reinforced glass walls, loosing myself to the sounds.

The hum of a engine.

The trickle of water.

The groaning of metal.

And I felt something. I felt control. I let it wash over me like a wave, and my spirits didn't so much rise as disappear. I felt something building in me…

'I… Think I can feel it… What do I do?'

'For this… What would you like to do?'

They were old thoughts, my new one added to it.

'How about find my father you useless annoyin-'

Suddenly my Pip-Boy beeped… There was a marker. I didn't set a marker...

'Not useless. Definitely not useless.'

The voice sounded angry, and there was a new marker, far west of megaton. WSW…

'What is this?'

'Your scratching a wall… I need yooouuu tooo kee-"

The voice faded away. I had a destination now. It had taken two weeks, and the Pip-Boy claimed that it was the middle of the night now, but I had a solid lead, the tapes were only made a day or so ago.

* * *

Short chapter is short. And early because of boredom I should really be ignoring... The next one will be a lot longer though.


	9. Chapter 9: Tension Lane

It was night when I exited the memorial. Not terribly dark, and soon my steps quieted insects as I trudged through the wastes. I felt energized and determined instead of tired like I should. The only things that would slow my until I needed sleep were my stomach and things with a rapidly shrinking life expectancy, like the occasional mosquito, just begging to be squashed against my neck. Now wasn't time to back track, any building would do with some mining if I needed to crash..

As I walked, I saw destroyed structures that should inspire wonder, now inspiring only a sense of annoyance as I passed around them.

I passed raiders that should inspire anger. They we're merely wastes off ammo.

I passed bones that should inspire pity. They crunched nicely underfoot.

I passed super mutants eating the dead. They joined their food.

-XXXX-

It was the first time I had a definite lead, and it had to come from some insanity.

'Not-'

'Quiet.'

My dad would answer, he would help, and anyone between me and him would stand aside or become thoroughly ventilated.

-XXXX-

Dawn found me passing by Megaton's gates. It would be a good place to stop for supplies and a safe rest. I could catch a few hours, then Moira would open shop, and I could go not long after. I stomped past my house and I noted that someone was approaching me… It took all of half a second for her to realize that she could be offering me just about everything I ever wanted and it still wouldn't be the time for that. I slammed my door on the way inside my house.

"Welcome home sir!"

"Not now Wadsworth. I'm sleeping and going."

"Certainly sir!"

"Wake me half an hour after Moira opens shop."

"Certainly sir!"

I stomped my way up stairs, I just flopped on my bed, closed my eyes, and fell asleep… In my armor.

-XXXX-

Nearly three hours later, I was woken by a buzz-saw spinning up. With terrified eyes I turned to see Wadsworth… Who promptly shut it off.

"Good morning sir!"

"Thank you Wadsworth. I'm going."

"Happy trails sir!"

"Is… Is that a new goodbye?"

"Certainly sir!"

"Good work Wadsworth, keep it up."

With a groan I hauled myself out of bed, stretching as I changed out of my stinky combat armor for something lighter…

-XXXX-

"Ahh! Your back!" Moira beamed at me, raising her hands.

"Yes I am, I've got some things to unload, then I'm picking up supplies and going."

"Really? So soon..? Why?" She lowered her hands, suddenly a lot less chipper.

"Got a lead on my dad, he's about a day west, and I'm not sure how old the information is."

"Oh… Ok… About about the-"

"Tested, two taps and then they explode. Do you have it in bullet form?"

"I… No… Poor little mole ratties!" She slumped slightly.

"Poor little? I'm just going to sell and run so don't bother with the camera. I'll see you when I'm back." I shook my head.

"I, ok, let's see what you have then…"

Moira looked rather dejected, and it showed, I got more then what I had would normally be worth to my joy.

It meant I had plenty for bartering rations off Moriaty [or more his Ghoul, I was surprised to find he wasn't trying to kill me… What was his name… Gob] and Jenny. I ate as I walked out the gate in the lighter Recon Armor I managed to barter from the Rangers [I insisted on paying]. It wasn't long after that I was removing mole rat heads, but other than that it was fairly peaceful. And I noticed the angry determination seemed to have seeped out of my body.

Now I was cautious, apprehensive… Scared even. This was the man who left quietly and took on the wasteland, despite seeming to be just a nice doctor. And as much as I wanted to punch him, he was my dad, I always felt small around him, and he must have been a hidden badass, if not a crouching moron.

-XXXX-

I ducked, rocket flying overhead, shards of rock flew up and I felt an impact on my chest. With a satisfying clang the raider's rocket launcher flew from his hand as I worked the bolt action of my hunting rifle, a massive hole in it and I moved back, hiding behind the ridge.

These raiders were smart, and tough. Unarmored they weathered my hasty shots and I moved up, throwing myself prone on the rock face as they hid behind cover, apparently they weren't drugged out of their minds…

If you ignored the bullets and my occasional laser burst when I set aside my hunting rifle, the battle was quiet, each man gritting his teeth and simply trying to kill another, the way fighting should be...

However I almost seemed to be losing this three to one fight... Normally the odds would indicate it was unfair for the raiders.

With a burst of laser fire I killed one of them, and the one with the pistol turned and fled, leaving just the one with the assault rifle… Who was way to accurate as rounds dinged his helmet and shoulders, indenting the metal of my recon suit.

'Why aren't I in combat armor!?"

Crawling back, rounds peppered my old position. Suppressing fire?

"Damn, you musta been an ex-merc! But soon you're going to be an ex-living!"

I swapped for my assault rifle. That guy was going getting hosed... Like the pistoleer who came up again to my left not as quiet as he thought he was, now bleeding from several chest wounds.

"Dammit Jimmy… Fuck!"

The fire stopped a moment, lurching forward I fired at the man as he was walking back, reloading. With a rapid series of bursts wounds began appearing on him.

"Argh!"

"You shoulda worn armor!"

Another three rounds, this time one entered his eye, brain matter burst both out the entry and exit wound, leaving me starring down on the flattish plane, all alone, looking for anything else… Nothing else moved, and silence met his ears… Slowly I rose, observing all the dings in my armor.

'What if I- No, keep moving, switch out and forget about it until later.'

Dusting myself off I jumped down from the ridgeline, legs bending slightly for the fall. I quickly gathered their remaining ammo before moving on before something else could come to investigate. I was half running as I moved across the wastes, enjoying the simple sound of grass crunching underfoot as the ruins of stray houses passed by…

-XXXX-

It isn't every day you stumble upon a massive enclosed raider encampment…

Especially one that contained a super mutant that out-sized houses.

"I… I should go around… But who else would deal with it?"

I lay on the ground prone, my out of ammo sniper dancing over their position before I switched to my now silenced 10mm. I'd probably miss quite a bit, but I wished them good luck spotting me, and letting the mutant out would probably kill them instead.

I turned out to be a terrifying shot with a pistol… As in, they were terrified, judging by all the scrambling and shouting… It helped that I had more rounds for my 10mm then any other weapon, each in a clip, just because I could...

When I spotted the human slaves, I felt quite justified in their fear.

-XXXX-

Eventually I was spotted, and my pistol jammed up. Apparently it didn't like spraying rounds and rapid reloads. I was however by far a better shot then a bunch of panicking injured raiders with pistols, given I was lying prone far away with a rifle… It was much more like a normal fight with raiders then normal.

-XXXX-

"Don't kill me!"

*Boom* My shotguns blast echoed though the metal halls of the mill.

"How many did you let live huh!"

"Kill the fucker! Just kill him!"

"What! Have your spine now hiding behind these walls!"

"Say it louder wastelander! I can't hear you from behind your metal wall!"

*Fwooosh*

"Shit!"

I dived to the side laying low in my armor, my crash resounding in the mill, the exploding missile sent shards over him. A raider entered the room, blade ready and a nervous smile on his face.

I scrambled forward, tackling him into wall, slamming my fist into his face I then grabbed his arm, and jammed his knife in his eye, it went deep. A round slammed into my helmet and I dropped like a stone. Scrambling, I moved to the wall and grabbed my laser pistol, emptying it to provide suppressing fire…

'If only I had a grenade or other explos- My mines!'

I stood up, a mine in hand the raiders ducked unthinkingly expecting me to have gotten up to take clearer shots. My aim was true and my mine flew through the air, landing a short distance behind the low wall they hid behind.

"Damn, I should play discuss."

The room was very still. On the other side, the raiders stared at their deaths. A mine. Just out of reach, blinking. It didn't go off though, it just watched them as they stayed perfectly still.

"Oh, you recognize that. I thought you would."

I reloaded my laser pistol. "The wall is about to get hot though... You may want to move."

Taking careful aim, I fired at the wall.

One of them must of flinched screaming, I think I saw one begin to leap before the duo were engulfed in a fireball. I waited… After a while quietly moving, my senses on edge as I moved to their position, laser pistol in hand.

They were… Everywhere. On the walls, the floor, dripping from the ceiling. I think a bone fragment fell on my shoulder… 'Yep… Ew.' I flicked it off I just stepped out of their little room and closed the door.

"Nothing to see here… And now there's just that mutant... And the other door. Let's check that instead…"

-XXXX-

"Whoa, are those dice?"

"There down here!"

"Shit!"

Quickly we exchanged automatic weapons fire, one of them running off unarmed, the other soon riddled with holes from the doorway, I moved in quickly, keeping low as I scouted. Raiders began rushing me, not bothering with cover, desperate to kill me as they charged.

I was happy to wait and watch them kill themselves in front of my assault rifle. Eventually they stopped, and walking around I only found a couple, except for some trader… I thought.

"Well, you must be the one who's got all their panties up in a bunch... Do you have some friends? I wouldn't suppose I can convince you and your friends to trade with me?"

"I… What?" I slowly lowered my shotgun, confused.

"Caps speak and I'm not deaf. Or stupid. Or a fighter. Sure you could kill me, but I'd rather come with you and settle elsewhere."

"You're a raider, what makes you think I'll let you live?"

"Me. No, I'm just a captured caravaner whose been made to look after their stuff, and broker some unsavory deals." The man waved his hands at me.

"Bullshit. They wouldn't give slaves a gun."

"I have to look the part for others. And remind the drunks that not all the stuff in here is theirs."

"Bullshit! Pass your gun over here, I've got slaves to free and your heads on the line based on their words."

"I… Fuck." He reached for his gun, a good condition shotgun.

His brains filled the book case behind him.

-XXXX-

I left, bloodied, sweaty, unbowed, the lone survivor of all the fighting. Unthinkingly I moved straight to free the slaves I saw before in pens who must by now be panicking.

It took them a moment, but eventually they began talking.

"Please… Are you here to free us."

"Yes… There's a town to the east called Megaton, it's safe… Gotcha you oil needing bastard. Just keep heading dead east. There's plenty of guns for you to pick up but I suggest you don't take their so called armor. Ok, next lock."

"I… Thank you! Bless you man! What's your name!?"

"I… I'm known as the Lone Wanderer. I don't need your thanks, I'm just doing what's right."

One of them, a girl rushed me after being let out, taken aback she tackled me, I fell down, wanting to reach for a weapon I noticed she wasn't doing anything, just hugging me.

"Thank you… You may not think you deserve it, but thank you…"

There were tears in her eyes… Life felt good for a moment before she began getting up, going with the other two to grab whatever weapons they could use.

This just left me and the big ass super mutant trapped in a electrified cage… I did however have a functioning rocket launcher with plenty of missiles. It wasn't pretty, but it took several as it beat it's cage before dying with one last roar. It was the least exhilarating fight of my life, and left me somewhat depressed, like putting down a sick… Something… The exception was using the rocket launcher… Those things a cool! Given the amount of punishment the mutant took, I'm glad I spent the time to kill it. I would not liked to have met one of those out in the open.

-XXXX-

This was it… A garage in the middle of nowhere... Just standing intact in the wastes… My father said it was in a garage, so perhaps the other voice wasn't useless.

The area was surrounded with radioactive sludge, so I tread carefully, and all my nerves were on edge. My assault rifle honed in on the building as I approached at a slow walk, keeping low to the ground, I looked for anything unusual, but found nothing. Just a mole rat, wandering around in the distance… But inside… Radroaches. There was a vault! I knew there had to be, but it wasn't that concealed. There was a huge metal plate and an electrical switch…. Perhaps my dad had uncovered it.

"Let's be thankful for small mercies. Ok… Breath E***…"

The switch ground and grinded in my hands, centuries of disuse being no god for it, and slowly, the huge metal sheet split in half, raising up and slotting into somewhere, revealing stairs… And a mole rat, which was quickly lobotomized by my laser pistol. As was another.

"Overseer, I think you have a mole rat infestation… Did you call for an exterminator? But, why wouldn't have dad killed them…"

The vaults air was style and dark. The air system mustn't be functioning properly, and lights were minimal. Pulling some cloth over my mouth I entered, walking slowly with shotgun out… I didn't like it one bit.

The vault… It was cold… Empty… Dead… My footsteps were the only sounds as I walked down the steel grate stairs, praying not to have been miss-guided. Finally I came upon the Vaults Door, the massive round circle clearly marked 112, it's control console active, only a button press needed. Alarms blared as I waited, they echoed through the halls… No wonder the place was dead, I wasn't in the vault proper yet.

Air hissed out of the vault, gears ground, sounding just like when 101's were opened not long ago, like they were recently opened, rust already ground off, the vault door pulled back, and rolled away. I was hit with a influx of cold fresh air… And there was 101's… No, 112's control room… As I walked through, I watched all the blinking lights, power was on, but nobody was home… I was more tense then ever… The vault was dead, but it was alive… Silence reigned, its rule only challenged by my quiet steps =, the screech of doors in need of an oil, and constant hum of computers…

Suddenly, a robot met me, with a brain above it, in a Jar!

"Welcome to Vault one twelve resident. According to sensors, you have arrived 202.3 years behind schedule. Please re-dress in your vault tech issued vault suit before proceeding. If you have misplaced your suit, I am authorized to distribute a new one. Once dressed, please proceed to the main floor so you may enter your assigned Tranquility Lounger."

"I… I have misplaced my suit."

The robot opened some sort of hatch on the front, revealing a small stash of vault 112 suits, taking one out, I moved to a corner, getting changed before proceeding, wondering what a 'Tranquility Lounger' was… Whatever it was though, I didn't like the sound of it.

Entering, I stopped cold. Slowly leaning over the railing, I saw banks of some sort of enclosed metal egg, each hooked up to a computer.

I rushed down, each… In each was a person, checking the computers each told of a person in stasis and one…

"Occupant Id error… You didn't… No."

I turned, rushing around the side, and there was dad, strapped in.

"DAD! DAD!"

My hand thumped against the walls, the robots moved around uncaring, I checked everything, I tried to get him out. Remembering layouts I found the overseers office locked, the clinic empty, I rushed to find anyone but a stupid robot… But there was nothing.

The overseers office was just plain locked out. I couldn't do anything. And the only other locked room was an equipment room, and despite my efforts I got nothing before walking back to my dad's pod…

"Dad…. Why? Why did you… There's… There has to be a way to get you out…. I…"

There was another pod, open…

"I'm coming for you dad…. You better be ready to break out."

Moving to the open pod, I settled in, my heart raced… The pod closed. Monitors moved into place… And then some sort of haze entered the pod.

"No… Shit E*** why did you think…. Why…"

Images floated before my head on a monitor, and then consciousness faded…

-XXXX-

Sunlight reached my eyes, looking down I yawned and stretched into awakening… And noticed I heard an identical yawn right next to me as well as that of a cat. Stopping I turned, watching what looked like child me in pre-war kids clothes finish his yawn as did a black cat. Shaking his head the other me looked at me and froze.

"Please tell me I'm not a kid to."

"Your… You're a kid… I'm a kid… What's going on."

The other looked around.

"I… I think this is tranq-" He began shimmering, frizzing, static came from him. He disappeared, I leaned away in shock. The cat looked at the empty and shook it's head.

"Not fully restored but on the way."

I leaned back in shock, my eyes must have been saucers judging by the way it shook it's head once it looked at me.

"I'm surprised we're meeting like this Split. I didn't think we would meet."

"What…. What are you?"

"E***'s guide. The real ones. Not you. You were a mistake caused by him performing a blind walk in the middle of a dream walk that was forced to him. My creator made plenty of mistakes, and it turned out the final destination was bad… However the walk was only a short distance… Even screwed up my form, but that may be the virtual interface…"

"I… What are you talking about?"

"Things not for you split. However know your reforging… We can talk more later but I have to find E*** or manage to stabilize him. And you've still got work to do. Perhaps we can talk after your done."

With that, the cat leapt of the bench, running off.

"I am E***!"

The cat didn't respond, and I looked around the virtual cul-de-sac, the cat having disappeared into the bushes in the middle and I knew I had no hope finding him… That meant finding my dad…

"Hey there sport! Beautiful day isn't it? Say, you should go talk to Betty. She's waiting for you over on the playground. Have fun sport!"

With that some man in pre-war clothing walked off… I just noticed everything was black and white.

"I will!" Oh god that was forced. 'Betty… Ok then, here's to a trail of breadcrumbs…'

The playground was dead in the middle, and with only one girl present, I presumed she was Betty and approached, a fake smile on my face that one could tell was forced.

"Oh, someone new to play with! What good luck I have lately! I was just starting to get bored. Oh we're going to have so much fun!"

The… If my grin was forced everything about her was predatory. "I… I'm looking for my father. Have you seen him?"

"Gee, I don't know. What's he like?" Yep, a predatory smile to…

"He's a older guy, around 50, a scientist looking for Doctor Braun. And I know he's here in the vault strapped into one of the VR's."

"Hahaha! Oh that was your daddy?! OH were going to have SOOO much fun! This is going to be the best game every!" Way to confirm all my suspicions Dr.

"No thanks Dr.. No games for me please."

"Ha ha ha ha… You don't get to say no."

"I had a feeling about that…"

"If **I** want to play a game, **you're** going to play. And **I** want to."

"Well… A game it is then."

"I knew you would. It's a really simple game. All you have to do is make Timmy Neusbam cry."

Oh god… I definitely had to find a way out for me and my father sooner rather than later.

"What kind of game is this?"

"It'll be funny. Come on, you'll see. Make him cry and then come back to me-"

"Will do." I had my fakest smile plastered on as I turned and left. I imagined the… I imagined the doctor pouting as the girl… He needed to be on the receiving end of something.

So, I explored, I was sure he… She… The Dr. was watching, but I wasn't just going to lay down and 'play' for her. I talked to people out of sight who did nothing but tell me to go away politely. I found some sort of military school brochure about making brats productive members of society [A clue]. Eventually walking into a different houses basement, I began coming up, before meeting a very old women coming down.

"You..You don't belong here. You're not supposed to be here! It's not real, none of it! It needs to end… The suffering must end!"

"I… I know, I' working on it. Do you know how do I get us all out of here?"

"We're not really here. We're not really talking! It's all made up. Make-believe! We're sleeping! Dreaming! The dream became a nightmare. It has to end, it has to. But we're not in charge. He is, and he doesn't want us to wake up."

"Who? Betty? Dr. Braun?"

She slowly nodded "He calls himself Betty now, but he's still the same. He can put a new face on all he likes, but underneath he's still evil. Braun. Bastard thinks because he helped create this place he's God here. But I know he still uses the failsafe terminal. I know it."

"Ok. Where is it, and how come only you know?"

"Don't know. Can't sleep sometimes… Here voices… My own skin doesn't feel right. None of this is right. You've got to believe me! **You've** got to find the failsafe."

"I do, but do you know where it is?"

"Good…. It's in the abandoned house. He doesn't want us going in there, because he's afraid we might find it. It's the only terminal to the outside. The only way to shut this whole thing down. You've got to find it."

"I… I will. Thank you."

"No, thank you. Find it. End this madness."

With that the old lady opened the door out of the cellar and motioned me out, together we walked out, and I left the house with a purpose.

-XXXX-

I quickly determined a house no one was visiting. I kept a rolling pin I found out of view as I headed into it, unable to spot Betty, but sure she was watching as I entered, waiting for some sort of surprise…

The house was a shambles, looking at a gnome it suddenly hummed, then beeped. Looking away I looked at it again and it hummed.

'Not an alarm. A switch…'

Soon I noticed others. A radio, pitcher, a cinder block and a Nuka-Cola bottle. Searching the house despite the building sense of dread I found nothing… After a while I began experimenting with the switches, trying to find an order and waiting for anyone to come in after me. Minutes passed with lots of frustrated beeping. I had a bookshelf in front of the door just in case, as well as a couple of other things.

"Ok, Radio, Pitcher, Gnome, Pitcher, Cinder Block, Gnome and…. Cola?"

Suddenly, something sounded like a TV turning on. Looking around, a terminal and a number of computer banks replaced the wall to my right in a wavy blur of static. The static remained with the hissing, and I stepped up to the terminal, placing my hands on the keyboard. Commands flooded onto the screen.

"Dr. Braun entries… Version control… Chinese invasion? Well there was the military thing… Let's grab notes first."

The notes were… Horrifying. For decades, nay, centuries, this man was torturing the residents with brutal deaths and wasting disease… He had created this place as a play pen, whipping memories for constant torture. And it looked like Dad entered only to be… 'Altered'…

"Oh no… Ok… Military… Let's make this brat a 'Functioning member of society.'

The documentation said it'd kill everyone as part of a fail-safe removed training program. Braun was permanently excepted, making it a failsafe to end the simulation, that didn't include him. He bemoaned that he didn't notice his exclusion and couldn't do anything about it, and how useless it'd be to torture a machine, and how they would be given release… Yes, yes they would be granted release. But it'd kill me, and whoever Dad was set in.

Using the fail-safe computer, I began coding.

-XXXX-

I heard pounding on the door. I smiled… My stomach grumbled.

I had locked Dr. Bruan out of the system, I had sealed this building, and I was programming. I had also made it so that none of the adults would want to come near the house to help him.

It turns out all the residents would die due to age related problems if they were forced to leave the simulation, and even without Braun pulling strings their lives would be horrible in the short time they had left. I managed to determine who dad was… He was the dog…

"I see your going well."

I turned, swinging the rolling pin, hitting nothing…

"What! Whose-!"

"Look down moron… Yes it's me, the guide."

"I… Fuck! You scared me." I sighed, turning around to the keyboard, ignoring the cat once I ascertained it was actually the cat. "What do you want?"

"To watch what you're doing. E***'s hidden and will be protected if you protect yourself, and I like dad will be protected by being in animal form."

"I… You knew?"

"E*** told me."

"I'm E***!"

"No, you're a split personality with a direct tap to the guide built based on his knowledge of this world that happens to be in control. I believe he refers to you as a semi-ideal realistic version of him as 'The Lone Wanderer'… Whatever that means."

"I… What? I…. Shut up and stay out of my way, I don't know what fever dream you are but if you keep it up I will end you."

"I sure hope you don't. He's been turned into a dream walker, it changes how he absorbs the information he needs to survive post-walk, and will make walking in the more mundane manner somewhat difficult."

"Shut up…"

"I believe the reference code you want is X-jdLv 150, the one you've got will put everyone in here, and you don't want that..."

"I…" I looked up at the monitor… It was right, I misstyped… Shit. "Thanks… Now be quiet."

"Ok. But you're going to need to face facts sooner or later… Just stop fighting his voice when it comes to you."

"You're going to leave now, or I'm going to end you."

"I'm gone."

Looking back, the cat had disappeared… I sighed gratefully before entering the coding I just strung. There was a short drop; my coordinates mustn't have been perfect. Dad began barking being me happily, then confusedly.

"Yea dad. I'm here, I'm getting us out. We'll be able to leave soon but it'll save time for you to be a dog for a while longer… Ok, stealth assault selected and code resetting. Version set to night skip, temporal change will begin in a moment… Braun is locked in and permanently set as a non-target… Removed self from target list, you'r already off as a nanimal… No, that's changed now… Removed you from target list… Cat must be… Ok…"

Suddenly the light dimmed, and then the lights switched on. It was night now.

"Ok… Chinese invasion protocol… Sweet dreams residents…"

I looked down, my hands came up from the keyboard, shaking, my eyes were watering… 'This was the right thing wasn't it?'

I felt dad rub his head against my leg. Almost absent mindedly I reached down and patted his head before looking down. He must have understood me, you could see it in his eyes, even with the dog face… Slowly he nodded…

"Sweet dreams… They'll be better than your current ones."

I activated the invasion scenario. And unlocked the house, immediately Braun walked in, steaming and stumbling.

"WHO DO YOU-! OH FUCK!"

"A loving son. Now why don't you turn around and watch your fail-safe, because dad and I are leaving!"

With that, I stormed towards him, pushing his female out of the door and down, watching windows slowly open as invisible…

'Invisible stealth troopers… That'll do.'

Not a sound was made as the residents died, one by one they each suffered from heart attacks and dropped out of the simulation, not having the time to properly register what was going on… Just enough to have one last moment of peace or panic before they rested eternally..

"You… Do you realize what you've done!." Betty's voice was gone, replaces with Braun's.

"I have freed them from their torment, and consigned you to yours."

"It's… It's not fair…Nobody to play with ever again…"

"Nope, not a soul. And the pods are being destroyed, so you're definitely right… Come on dad. There's a door waiting for us."

Walking out into the Cul-de-sac I noted a static coated wavy door much like the monitor. I left for it, walking quickly with dad behind me. Betty just stared, and then I began to hear Dr. Braun cry…

It's what he deserved… I was angry enough that it's what would be.

-XXXX-

Slowly the drugs released their hold on me. I awoke to my pod opening with bleary eyes… Looking around, I noticed Dad's had opened…

He… He was out, smiling as he walked to me.

"Son… You saved me… And you did it right… I feared I was going to be trapped in there forever… It's so good to see you here, but what are you doing here?"

"I… Trying to find you."

"Well… I'm glad you did. This certainly wasn't how I expected things to turn out-"

"No, it wasn't, and neither was leaving the vault."

He recoiled as if I physically slapped him.

"I… What went wrong."

"The… The overseer went crazy. Just like you told Jonas… Not that Jonas would remember any more."

"He… I-"

"Am going to wait outside while I make sure this doesn't happen to anyone ever again. Then we're going to have a long walk."

He simply nodded… Whatever he wanted to say he'd just stopped, turning as he walked quietly out, his shoulders slumped.

-XXXX-

I don't know how long it took, but I made sure to take my time.

I didn't need to look into the pods as I deactivated them, and then made sure they would never function again using bullets and patience. But by the time I was done, I was almost certain he would always be alone. Looking at the door to one of the stairwells, I noticed Dad watching. He didn't smile, be he had this look. It said you were doing right. I walked straight past him, indicating that he follow. I felt a presence on my mind but I ignored it… I didn't want the presence. I wasn't a fake. It could try again never

"E***-"

"After. We're going out, and I'm making sure no one can get in. Then we can talk."

Leaving the Vault, Dad grabbed a bag of stuff from the same room I left my stuff when I got changed, together we left the vault and I closed it. Telling him to move away, I set mines around it, 3… I had one left. I was careful in setting them up so that they didn't blow me up when I walked away after placing them… I walked a safe distance away, and turned, holding my last frag mine in hand, and activated it.

"Goodbye Braun."

I through it, it passed over the other cluster, and they all exploded. Where there was a terminal to open the vault, there was now a crater of exposed sparking wires and scrap metal. I just stood there, staring, a hard look on my face… And then I felt his arm around my shoulders…

For a while, I'd let him… I needed it.

* * *

Sorry, did I say the next update wouldn't be for a while?

It turns out I'm slightly better at procrastinating then I thought, and I'm also less busy then I thought...

Anyhow, new large chapter. Tell me what you think. And yes, I plan on elaborating on the other and the annoying cat. Now to update the character listing.


	10. Chapter 10: We're all Fuck Ups here

Some notes for this one.

Yes, so close. Writing without/with minimal playing is much faster in some ways than writing alongside the game, however vaguely. I'll be trying to mix things up a fair bit so that you don't have reason to go 'Oh, this… How many chapters until I might as well just be playing Fallout 3'.

The middle bit happens to be oh so very finicky, I don't know how many times I went over it. I ended up largely cutting bits from the end [including a fight scene I liked]. However, it's quite officially a cross over, and I'm sure fans of the other will have guessed it by the middle section assuming they didn't look at what section I put it in.

Anyway, enjoy the longer chapter [The Double breaks is where I think it could break but I'm not breaking it because I think it all belongs together, at others requests I may break it up further.], and stick around to try and spot the "Take that me."s If I could link TVTropes I would apologise now for ruining your life, but I can't, so TVTropes becoming a massive time sink is your fault if you follow that rabbit hole…

Of course, just mentioning it ate an hour of my time, and I've been training myself to leave wiki-walks.

Before I forget, unless otherwise noted when going between sections, POV is always set to the main protagonist, in this case, The Lone Wanderer.

* * *

"… Thanks… We need to get dressed. We're in for a long walk."

"Yea… I'll find a corner."

I used the time we took armoring up to calm down. I wasn't here to cry one his shoulder. With a shuffle the kevlar shoulder plates fell into place and I began buckling my helmet on. Then came the process of strapping weapons in easily located spaces that gave me room for my backpack.

'… Shouldn't need my shotgun. Hunting rifle should do fine. I should have kept the 10mm SMG I found a while back… Perhaps I can find some way to lower my assault rifles firing rate…'

Checking everything was in its place, I turned to where dad had walked off. He was in a recon suit with a matching helmet, magnum strapped to his waist. It looked like he had a smaller backpack on.

"Seems that you've become a proper scavenger, however all that's going to slow you down."

"It doesn't. We're going to Megaton first, then we can talk."

"I… Alright. It's not too far out of the route I was thinking of. There's a raider camp though th-"

"I cleared it out. Completely. Anyone we find there are just people who we're out, they'll find their slaves freed and missing, and their captive mutant dead."

"I… You know, violence is-"

"There raiders, the shoot first, ask questions later, keep slaves, and torture people, all the while on drugs. It's for the better."

"I…" He sighed. Whatever argument he had on his lips died there. His shoulders slumped. "I didn't want this for you."

"I kn-… I know. But the card was dealt and so it's getting used."

"Gambling is a good way to end up broke."

"But where nothing is ventured nothing is gained. Come on, it's a long and hopefully quiet walk."

"I… Son. I'm here for you." I was glad he was wearing the mask, it was bad enough hearing his words… Seeing his face would kill me.

"You weren't when it was needed. Don't worry, I'm a big bad wastelander now…"

I simply turned and walked, taking the stairs up and out of the garage. Eventually I heard dad begin to follow me. He seemed to understand I wanted time.

And in the cool air of a wasteland evening, I had that time.

-XXXX-

The return trip to Megaton was blissfully uneventful, it was fully dusk when we arrived and I was ready to sleep. We kept to small-talk, I told him I had a house, but only a single bed. He said he'd sleep in the common building. I made him promise to wait there, told him I'd come for him. There would probably be a slight stir in the bunks when he arrived. When I went to my house I quickly went to my bed and began stripping. Wadsworth said a half-hearted greeting, noticing that I wasn't paying attention. I fully expected my dreams to be turbulent, but not as turbulent as they were…

I… I found myself in a car. But it wasn't like the pre-war cars, it was rather different. It looked like we were stuck in traffic. I was in my armor. And beside me… Was me, but clean, hair shaved short instead of roughly cut. He was dressed in some strange style that looked neither pre- nor post- war. Looking behind me, in there was a cat, just sitting in the middle of the back seats.

"I… Where am I."

"Dreaming. In a car. I've managed to replicate the moment in Tranquility lane… More or less... I told you I'd set this up. At least, I think I did. I may have forgotten. Either way you can finally talk now."

Turning, I looked to the man at the wheel.

"Well then... Would that mean you're the one that's supposedly the real me."

"I would think you're as real as me, if not more so at the moment."

"Oh please, your real, he's a figment."

"And you can prove that how exactly puddins?"

"Well, his mind could be removed. You'd replace it with something else most likely, but it'd be removed."

"I… I'm right here." I looked between the two, confused and annoyed.

"Yes you are. And in about 30 seconds traffics going to move and we can have a nice long chat… At least you don't imagine imagine yourself armed, that'd be annoying to try and regulate."

"But we're in a traffic jam and my house-"

"Leave this stuff for me, you're learning but you barely know the tip of your abilities, and they make up a ridiculously large iceberg… Thank god humans have some common phrases."

Suddenly the world blurred by, the other me's hands guided the wheel and some sort of stick unnoticing and blindingly fast while his feet performed some operation, and then we were on a drive way at some sort of brick house.

The man turned, facing the building himself, his voice was shaky as he soke.

"Damn… It's home… Your good cat. An annoying pain in my ass, but good... Thank you."

"It's nice to know my efforts are appreciated. But your welcome." If I could bottle voices I would have some fairly pure sarcasm diluted only by the second.

"Ok. So so far I get-"

"Quiet. I'll info dump all over you later, but couches are more comfortable and I'll be able to look at you both… Though why you're a dog person yet I'm stuck as a cat confounds me, no appropriate furniture."

"You say that like you won't just jump all over my entertainment system… Will… Will anyone else be there?"

"No, I've arranged it. Now come on, someone open the doors I want to get this underway, I didn't spend all that effort setting this up so that I could watch grass grow."

With that, other me opened his door, getting out. I watched him closely so as to figure out how to open and slam close the cars door. The cat glared at us having both left him inside before just appearing on the grass, looking quite annoyed as it sauntered off towards the door. I followed the other me quietly… His house…

Well. I was impressed, but growing up in a vault and mostly seeing reclaimed ruins probably set a low bar. I was quite pointedly told to take off the kevlar backing and maybe even shoes if I wanted to get comfortable, but I knew that wasn't going to happen. The house might be a soothing white an it may supposedly have rather soft carpet, but I wanted answers. So instead I just stood at the entrence the room, glaring at the other two. The other me leaned against the back of a couch, while the cat merely observed a moment before shaking it's head and jumping up on yet another couch, stretching out before lying down, facing my direction.

"… Ok… Now would one of the two of you please tell me WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!"

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."

"Were sleeping cat…"

"Semantics… Well then. E*** here got into a multi-fatality car accident. Quite stressful really. And in either event he was going to die. Rather stressful, and the moment that woke his spark. A quick jump later he landed near my creators beacon and shorted it. Creator tested him, decided he wasn't worth keeping around, doped him, set up a couple of things, and sent him on his merry way..."

I looked at the other me. He was scowling and nodding slowly at the cat's flippant story.

"Spark, creator? Who-"

"I would appreciate it if you waited until the end for asking all your questions. Due to the type of walk, he was supposed to take over for a guy about to become an amnesiac, have a cause, all that. He woke up to the guy's final remembered moments for his new memory, just before the Bullet in the brain pan, no squish. Of cause, he panicked walks groggy while still under the effect of the spell. It's all too much for him, the guy he was taking over for wakes up again to bite the bullet, and goes on his merry way."

Now I was glaring at the cat, and I had a deep hate for whoever this betraying creator was despite being confused... It felt quite similar to how I felt about dad I noticed… I pushed the thought aside for later.

"So, feeling all betrayed, E*** here gets shoved in some poor shmuck, you but… Well. Not you, somehow he know what's happening in your future, his mind splits, leaving just enough to guide you, he grabs parts of me and stuffs them in, and tries to calm down after his panic attack all hiding up in your brain whilst you get beaten on by idiots. And that's the story."

I… I give the cat a look. You know the look, you might not have ever given or even received the look, but you know the look I'm giving. It goes beyond words and I can't describe it, but it's somewhat like when Wadsworth told me his humour emitters needed recharging, the second time.

"… It's true. It sounds stupid but it is so. Of course, that's a rather short short version but the long of it doesn't sound much better."

"I… You… Your both crazy. My minds snapped, that's what it is I'm not listening to this make belive nonsense."

I turned around and stormed off.

-XXXX-

[POV: The Five Coloured Walker]

I glared at the guide. I knew he had cut down way too much.

"Stupid cat, I told you-"

"It was your idea, now do you want to go after him or not."

I looked towards the exits. I bit off a curse as I stood up moving to give chase, I had to jog a moment before spotting him near the backyard door.

"Hey, hey wait!"

"Screw you buddy, take your jet and shove it right up your ass sideways! Then offer it to a mutant!"

Oh, ouch. "Hey wanderer, slow down! Let's tal-" I put my hand on his shoulder as he stepped out the door. Suddenly he spun just the slightest bit.

"Leave, me, alone!"

And all the air left my lungs, his elbow firmly planted where my diaphragm should be. I panicked for a moment.

'Get me out of here.'

-XXXX-

-XXXX-

I awoke with a start bolting upright, the echoes of my dreaming shout reaching my ears along with Wadsworth's engines.

"Sir! Are you ok sir?"

"I... uh... Yea... Thanks Wadsworth. What time is it."

I wiped my eyes, removing the sleep.

"It is 5:32 am the-"

"Just the time thanks... Yahhoawawn... You'll have the house to yourself soon Wadsworth."

"Certainly sir. I would like to inform you that Lucas Simms has expressed a interest in purchasing the protectetron, citing a price of 60 caps..."

"I... I'm never going to get around to fixing it up... I'll let him know it's his, Moira will probably be the one to pick it up though."

"Acknowledged sir. But 60 caps?"

"It's how much I 'paid' for the right to lug it back, and Lucas has decided that that's it's value. Besides, I have plenty of caps..."

I stared at the robot for the moment. I wished I could read robot expressions, especially since he remained hovering there... A thought entered my groggy mind.

"I'm not about to sell you Wadsworth."

"Thank you sir. I shall let you wake up."

With that the robot floated away, barely rotating... It was the sort of thing that told me robots were AI's... Even if some were horrendously stupid.

-XXXX-

I rushed through my morning routine, I tried to think of what could possibly have me hallucinating so and dreaming like I was... Sadly I came up short. Perhaps dad could examine me later... But first, I wanted to kick his ass... He... What happened when he left the vault was his fault, like the guy locked in his room said... And there was no way I was 'ready' for this... I put it off to one side for the moment, only to let it return as I walked towards the common building. My footsteps became stomps on the metal of the catwalks, I heard someone shout quiet down from their building.

I hadn't been in the common room before, but looking around after throwing open the door... Most of the people were sleeping. A couple of guys sleepily looked up from their cards.

"Hey, it's you! Uhh, what's his face from the vault... Heard about you on the radio, and from the slaves. You've got a house what are you doing-"

"Don't you remember, his Da; came in the evening after the slaves remember. Don't worry 'Lone Wanderer', he'll be out soon... Though what a silly name."

"I got it after saving a bunch of mercs from being trapped by a couple of buildings full of supper mutants."

Instantly the two kinda looked meek and studdied their cards as I glared at them.

"Yep... Shutting up."

Someone in a bunk groggily replied while rolling over. "Please do... Some of us are still sleeping."

"Can the two of you send him out? When he's dressed and all.. To... Just out the front of the gates."

"Yep."

"Sure thing."

-XXXX-

I waited for him outside, pacing. The sound of dirt crunching underfoot was surprisingly calming, it helped my get over the constant lines spewed by Deputy Weld... 'Damn, now Lucas will have a third, if not just spare parts.'

I stopped dead hearing someone else step out of the gates, stopping a short distance behind me. Turning I saw Lucas.

"Waiting for James?"

"Yea... Why?"

"Just wanting to know if you plan on shooting at him... I'm fine with shouting but I'd rather not have to shoot you."

"That might be because your in a duster... But no... Punching him may be on the agenda though."

"Hmmm. Well do **try** to keep things civil. I may be in a duster but Deputy Weld isn't, and he'll attack you as the aggressor... And replacing him would be more than 60 caps." Simms smiled at me, thinking he could start bargaining.

"Oh... Yea that protectrons yours as soon as you give me the money, I don't have the time for him... But thanks for the warning."

"Hmmm. Well thanks... Talon company still hunting you?"

"Not that I know of, but I haven't had a chance to go thank Tenpenny just yet."

"Well that's good to know. One less thing to worry about... I'll let you wait for your Dad. You want me to just grab some guy's to move it?"

"Yes, go on in, don't take anything else."

Lucas laughed. "I'm the sheriff, I leave that for you lot."

"You… I hear you've been doing good things, you deactivated that bomb. I'm proud of you…"

For a moment, we just stood in silence… When I finally spoke, my voice was filled with venom.

"Then I'm glad you're **proud**."

"E*** I'm sorry-"

"About what? Jonas? The Holden's? Or Taylor? Or how about Lewis?" Each name I spat at him struck him like a physical blow.

"And then you left me. You knew right well he could go mad about it, but you left nothing for me except a note with Jonas. You didn't even consider that I might be forced out did you? No telling how-"

"Your right, I made a mistake. A big one." Dad's face was up, starring me in the eye. Challenging me to say more… But I couldn't… I don't know how long I just glared at him.

"I… Fuck!" Turning I slammed my fist into a nearby wall, which served only to hurt my hand. It felt good though... My shoulders slouched a little before I turned my head.

"Well why then? Why did you leave? You said so yourself it would be dangerous for us?"

"For project purity. I believed I could do more good here then back in the vault. I thought you'd be able to stand on your own there safe after I left."

"And **what** exactly is **Project Purity**?"

"It's… It was the effort of a group of us trying to create large amounts of pure water, free from radiation, toxins and microbes, safe for the entire wasteland."

"I…I… Fuck… Why do we have to be good people."

I slouched my head. Dad was quiet silent, giving me some time for my thoughts, he knew it wasn't a real question.

'He made a mistake, but he's trying to help a good deal more people than ever existed in Vault 101.' I wasn't sure if was me arguing with my thoughts, or a hallucination.

'I know I know just… I want to hate him but… But…'

'I know… But you've got to answer him. You're a good guy. I know you are. It's the right thing to do.'

"Why do you have to be doing the right thing..?" I sighed at the ground, turning to him, standing at my full height. "Your right. You fucked up. Badly. But let's make life somewhat better for everyone else. What can I do?"

"Well, I may look the part but I'm not a real fighter, I'm a scientist. I detest weapons. If… If you could be a good gun arm, it would help a lot. I know I'm going to need your help clearing out the memorial again, and probably to help find the GECK I need to finish the project once I have everything set back up."

"Consider it done. Let me get dressed and then we can go. I take it you've got your own route in mind seeing as you like to go around."

"Yes. Lots of animals, but nothing with opposable thumbs until we're much closer to Rivet City then if we passed through the heart of DC."

"Well then… I…" 'I can tell him later. This is worth doing now...' 'I should tell him. I'm not at my best.' 'Don't be so sure about that. They helped you find him.' 'They claim I'm not real...' 'Many before one. You know that...'

"I'll grab my things and meet you back out here then we can go.

Dad looked at me concerned a moment before turning around and heading back into the city. I looked out into the wastes taking a big breath.

'This better be the right decision.'

-XXXX-

Dad's plan was to walk south and then hook around east to Rivet city. At the start it seemed like a good plan, up until the end we would just be walking wastes not ruins, and true to words the most dangerous thing we encountered was some sort of bear that he called a Yauo Guai. He seemed scared of it, however it's brain pan wasn't that hardy. At one point we passed some Robco facility. I made a note to come back between the shooting of robots.

Dad turned out to be a real quick draw, good at flanking… Bad at shooting. He didn't hit too often, but he normally hit hard. Eventually we found some sort of highway which went the way we were going, and that was when Dad told me we we're at the dangerous stretch. There were a few raiders we killed before we found some sort of raider camp as night approached. They had a sentry with a Rocket launcher whose head happily exploded to my sniper round, then we moved in.

-XXXX-

'A sword! Some guy is really using a sword!'

I ducked to one side dropping my gun. I quick-drew my laser pistol and blew chunks from his chest. Dad was forced to drop his pistol and pick up a tire iron. I was about to help him when a raider, strung out on something, charged me with a knife. I blocked, pushing him aside with my pistol before he grabbed it and wrenched it out of my grasp.

"Your mine ranger!"

"And your mothers mine!"

With a growl he charged, thrusting wildly as I lept back, then forward pushing his arm aside and shoving him, tipping the raider over. Stomping on his elbow he let go of his knife which I picked up, and turned to look at dad, noticing he just dispatched his with a solid blow to the head.

"My arm! You broke my arm!"

I pulled out my silenced pistol and shot him once in the head. I the resounding silence, the two of us waited for signs of life before we gathered weapons, and I delayed him to gather what was left.

"You know. It'd probably be safer the other way. I cleared out quite a few camps and I think my face is becoming known."

Dad remained silent, seemingly in thought as he reloaded, and although I waited it seemed he decided that he didn't have a appropriate response for me. After a moment of checking clips we moved on, blowing through or avoiding ambushes, and then going over a bridge. It was near rivet city where we had our next big fight.

-XXXX-

"Hey you!.. Well now, if it isn't the little saint from the vault. And James! You back for more?"

I looked at my dad. Talon mercenaries. This wasn't going to be fun. He moved behind a pile of rubble. It was 3 vs 2, and two were already entrenched.

"We've been looking for you. Someones put quite a price on your head 'Lone Wanderer', and I'm sure there's still a bounty on your head James… What, the two of you think that you can just walk around the waste land, and no one's going to pay attention to you? But, it's all just such a shame really. I hear that you could have been… Something useful. And I know James here could be putting his talents to things so much greater… Ah well. Time to die."

"Yes. It is time for you to die." That was the vainest soliloquy I had heard. I was going to have to duck lined up bullets.

"Hah, I lov-"

The merc's head exploded, dad had opened fire, killing him with a single shot. I dived to one side, shooting my hunting rifle at some guy with a assault rifle. He took the round to the shoulder and spun. The guy with the hunting rifle missed his shot. I scrambled for the leaders combat shotgun, spraying the mercs position while prone, trying to get up and find some sort of cover. The mercs ducked, with the two of us providing covering fire it wasn't worth standing.

Swapping for my assault rifle I waited whilst dad reloaded. Silence rained as we both aimed at their position. Seconds crawled by. I motioned for dad to move. I then fired a couple of rounds at their cover.

Immediately the one with the hunting rifle spun out of cover, firing at me, landing a solid hit on my chest and cracking the armor, hearing my firing go wide the one with the assault rifle stood right up, only to get shot in the arm and convinced to run. They were flanked, they didn't really have cover. Keeping to ours we slowly followed the duo, driving them back. Short bursts came from my assault rifle and I tossed dad my hunting rifle.

"I don't-!"

"It's a BB gun that uses a bolt! Learn."

I stood up, spraying fire as the mercs hid behind a pillar and rubble pile. One of them tossed something, not quite reaching my cover. It exploded in a wave of sparks and my Pip-Boy shorted for a second, but didn't shut down. Returning the favor I tossed a more useful frag mine, this one set for proximity. It didn't make it, but when one stepped out of cover I sent a spray of bulets at it, which caused the one with the hunting rifle to clutch his face and step back as he was hit by fragments. My dad fired, his round punching a hole in the mercs gut and hit promptly bent over.

Then a stream of bullets sounded that wasn't from us or the remaining merc, he was spasming until I launched a burst at his head, sending him tumbling back, his face becoming a red mush.

I kept my gun pointed in the mercs direction for a while before lowering it, my breath slowing. Moving out of cover I heard someone, a girl, begin speaking.

"Well I'll be… Is that you James or the kid in the ranger armor?"

I smiled as I noticed saw the women. Someone in the Rivet City security uniform, loosely holding a 10mm SMG.

"Kid eh? I think I've passed most of the things that make someone a man."

"Well I'll stand corrected. You must be James then."

"Yes I would… So what are you doing out? Rivet cities still 5 minutes away at best?"

"Talon mercs. I asked to follow, see if I could help them not become a problem and was allowed out. I take it your back for Li again?"

"Yea, I am. And I've got better news this time." My dad pulled off his helmet as he walked towards the women.

"Hmph… Well the two of you behave yourselves and start walking with bigger sticks okay? I wouldn't want to have to throw yourselves out only for you to get in another shooting match with these folks."

-XXXX-

Entering Rivet City, I told dad that I'd follow him down later. He'd be able to convince Li or not without me, however armor repairs and more ammo were a necessity, and whilst I left some stuff at Megaton for later I still had stuff I picked up to sell. It was disappointing losing the logo on the armor, but there's only so much you can do… I was however able to find lots of MFC's, which were the ammo for a laser riffle I picked up a while back from someone in power armor. I traded in the Hunting rifle I found for it, dad could keep mine. I was tempted to sell my Assault riffle but I decided to keep it… I kinda wondered how I managed to find so much space for my weapons... Well, I managed, and I needed them all.

-XXXX-

I arrived at the lab to hear the tail end of their conversation.

"Dammit James… If the GECK can do this large scale… If anyone else was asking me I'd have them run out of the station, but you… Dammit, after this you owe me a drink… I'll get a team together; I'll.. They should be ready by tomorrow, my current experiment just needs basic watching for results."

"Thank you-"

"And so a fair maiden was swayed to my father's gracious charms… No? Anybody? No…" I looked down at the scientists, staring at me. Dr. Li said something to my dad but I missed it, he shook his head smiling.

"I'll just be glad he's not near my throat though."

"You're doing the right thing, so we're doing it. That's it. I can yell at you more later… So you need a few days before you're ready?"

"Yes…"

"Well… I'll see about what I can do about guards-"

"Security and the Brotherhood wont help, not after last time, not until we have the GECK."

"Then I'll grab the rangers. They owe me and I've amassed a surprising amount of caps and old war money. That way we can all keep you safe for the set up, remove any mutants that were there, and then we can leave once we have the information we need to find the GECK? Sound good."

My plan met with agreement.

"Two days, you got that?"

"Yes D-, Ma'am." Li scowled at me.

"I am a-"

"I just had a rather horrifying interaction with Dr. Braun, you don't want me to relate him and you together in any way for a while."

Li turned on dad, a questioning look on her face. He nodded slowly.

"He's right. I'll tell you in a second. Do you have everything you need to find them?"

"Yea… I'll be on my way now."

-XXXX-

-XXXX-

Unfortunately, when I checked the Rangers base I found no one home. I took the time to read a bounty note I found on the Talon Merc's… Apparently I'd been such a 'White Knight' I needed to die. It was a strange idea. However with just the occasional mutant to keep me company, the period was peaceful… By my standards at least. My nights we're even freer from visitions then I expected.

Before I left though I did tack the bounty clear side up on the door... I scrounged around for a while before finding a sharper pencil, writing a note to meet me at the memorial and to ignore the back, saying I killed the group. I told them I had a well paying stable and hopefuly easy job.

I signed it with my new nic, and asked how Eugene was going, and if she need some more lead.

Whilst by my standards the walk there and back, as well as the stay, was all peaceful...

Talking with my dad was less so, as the two of us argued in the science lab. He was definitely able to talk rings around me and did so for a while before deciding to end the conversation.

"I'm sorry son but I agree with Li. We all know how to shoot and we'll be in and out quickly, there's not need to delay for others, and Li's attempts to get some security agents to come with us hasn't worked, so we're going. I would like for you to come with us though… Besides, whilst it's likely that if the GECK hasn't been found by others it won't be, there's still a chance, and I don't want to risk it."

"I…" I looked around at the other scientists. Slowly they all nodded. "Fine. Let's go."

"Good. It'll be good to work side by side with you son."

-XXXX-

The trip was short, sweet, and completely uneventful.

"Ok, where here… I'd like you all to wait near the entrance while I clear the place out. Dad you may have cleared just enough before, but you're too important to risk…"

"So it's not that you want to try out your laser rifle now that you have plenty of ammo?"

I mussed of had a pretty guilty grin on my face by the way he nodded.

"I thought so… Come back when you're done, then we can get to work."

-XXXX-

The memorial only had a few mutants in it, scouting party I believed. They were quickly put down. The Laser riffled functioned exactly if someone had turned a laser pistol into a hunting rifle and removed the bolt action… And managed to cram more ammo in. It might not be as effective at short range, but it was glorious! Recoil was also minimal which was good, but it didn't have much in way to aim by, so I was mostly guessing [guess what, I'm a good guesser], so my aim wasn't as good as it could be. I deemed it all a worthy trade off.

I did however gather up various holo-tapes strewn around. They turned out to mostly about project purity. Some were depressing, some brought a smile to my face before I set them aside to give back to dad. I used them with various radio stations and a large amount of thoroughness to ensure that there was nothing left by the time I went back up, unharmed, but leaving several dead mutant in my wake.

"Hey dad!"

"E***! You're alright?! Is it clear?"

"Yep, it's safe to set up shop. Go one, I'll follow you in."

"Excellent. Well… Let's get to it."

It was a short walk through the halls. I moved some of the bodies to the sides. I never saw dad so apprehensive before we reached the rotunda.

"Here we are. Where it all began. You remember your mum's favourite passage?"

"2:16, Revelations."

"Yes… This is what it all means. This water, this purifier. This is the water of life, your mother's dream… I… I need to get to work."

"Yep. I'll be near an intercom. Tell me when and what you need me to do."

There was something special about watching dad work… But I couldn't just hole up with all the other scientists. I new computers and was handy, but this was their work…

Besides, someone needed to stand guard.


	11. Chapter 11: Failing for Lack of a Nail

I did most of the running around to set get things running. It would only be a short visit and I'd have to do it again, but there's something nice about doing simple things. It's calming… My thoughts about dad were still conflicted, but this seemed a worthy cause. The pumps were just a case of waiting and watching, and the fuse boxes were an easy fix. The mainframe just needed a boot up [thank god, I've come to loath coding], that was when dad told me a pipe had suddenly clogged.

"Obviously not vault level engineering."

"I wish it was, but we'd have it working already were it vault-tec spec gear. Think you can handle it yourself or should I send a engineer?"

"No I should be fine, I'll give you a call if I'm not. Meet up with you soon."

The blockage was a quick fix. A pipe needed some jarring and some loosening. Thing had rusted half-shut and stuff had gotten caught, clogging it. Soon after opening it there was a slight chugging before the water flew freely...

But the thumping sound hand't stopped... Only changed slightly... And seemed to come from above and-

"What are… Vertibirds… What are they doing here?!"

I turned and ran activating my Pip-Boy to begin transmitting.

"Dad! We have guests!"

There was no reply. There couldn't be. I rushed thought the tunnels, coming out in the sub-basement. I noticed some guy in armor similar to the one I got the laser rifle from… Blokes that shot on sight.

"People with laser weapons, very aggressive!"

I hadn't stopped transmitting by the guy had turned.

"Intruder!"

He began firing, concrete exploded and fence mesh melted, ducking I squeezed off several shots as I kept moving forward, leaping from the pipe. From the top of my eye I saw that I had hit the mouth grill and some sections of chest. Looking around swiftly I ran back up the stairs, stepping straight over the asphyxiated man, his mouth having been destroyed and the grill being sealed due to the melting.

There was another one on the way, I ended this fight by blasting his rifle with a single shot, stopping just briefly to take aim. The microfusion cell overloaded catastrophically, blowing apart his right hand and badly damaging his left arm, I ran passed as he screamed. I was more concerned for others.

Running up into the Rotunda, I saw Li outside; several of the soldiers were inside, along with Dad and another scientist, my eyes flared wide.

"We need to get out of here-"

"Go grab the other scientists and hide near an intercom! I'll find you later."

Li stayed, seemingly as paralyzed as me as we watched them. Then I walked up and began bashing the clear material of the rotunda. I didn't know what it was, but I didn't think it was glass or plastic. One of the soldiers near absent mindedly fired a weapon in my direction unleashing a green bust, the material warped and I flinched, but I wasn't hit or harmed. Whatever this was it made their armor look weak although it was warped.

"DAD!" I wasn't sure if he heard, I could barely hear what was going on in there.

'You can't get though!'

'Don't say that!' I screamed at the voice in my head, raising my rifle I didn't fire just yet.

'It's not the best in your inventory but you know it won't work! They'll just kill him. Think!'

'I… What can I do!'

The voice was quiet a while, and then I heard the cat.

'Let him in.'

'You can't be serious!'

'What!?'

'You remember what I showed you. Wanderer, you need to let the Walker in. He needs to learn and he can help.'

'I… but-.' My mind reeled in confusion.

'It's your dad's only chance…' The cat's mind voice was as hard as steel… And I faltered.

'I… What do I do?'

'Think on the hum. Feel the water, and think of the other voice… trust me.'

'I…'

I grasped for the hum, it eluded me, it was out of reach, and then I felt a guiding hand.

'Help me!'

It was my last thought.

-XXXX-

[POV: Five Coloured Walker]

I opened my eyes. It was the first time in so long… Li tugged at my arm.

"We have to go."

"Not yet!"

I reached. The hum came effortlessly. I moved to the door, struggling to open it.

'I… I'm locked out… What-'

'You have order at your hand. You need someone in there. What is just order? What is even un aligned. What do you know that could help?'

'I can't shoot into there!' My thoughts slowly became hectic.

'You don't have to… Do you remember the game? How is it played?'

'You… You call others?'

'Then call.' The cat said it in my mind like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

'I… I should have thought of that.'

Cops came to mind, but they could-… No, I saw guns. I knew how they worked, they wouldn't last but… Surprise… Protectrons, they just need to give me a moment and then I could call robots… Or just start with robots.

I felt energy surge within me. I called to the world. Protectron.

The energy fell sharply, I felt it slowly build. And then a protectron rounded the corner… It looked like the one from the store. The robot noticed their weapons aimed at another and skipped straight to the prosecution.

-XXXX-

[POV: Enclave Soldier]

I looked at the warped plastic where my shot had hit. 'Stupid kid. Who did he think he was… I'll probably have to kill him to reclaim his weaponry though…'

The general continued his rambling and obviously refused demands of the scientist, and then I heard clanking.

'Huh.'

Looking behind me was a protectron, clanking around the corner.

"What the-"

My eye overloaded with a stabbing pain for half asecond before it boiled and burst, leaving a bloody socket, filling my helmet with a noxious smelling gas. And then my chest heated up.

"ARRRGH!"

-XXXX-

[POV: Five Coloured Walker. From now on this is the assumed POV]

Laser burst from the top of the protectron, Li gasped as a lucky shot struck the soldiers eye-slot. The bullet proof glass exploded, metal around the edge melted, and a tiny bit of red laser scorched the soldiers eye and his under-helmet. A second bolt struck his chest. If he noticed it he didn't show as he staggered back, clutching towards his ruined eye as he fell back, collapsing and falling atop the man who was talking to my father.

The other soldier turned opened fire smoothly. With a couple of shots the other enclave soldier reduced the protectron to slag with his plasma rifle. But that was enough for dad to enact the plan I feared he would.

"No!"

Something exploded. My gieger counted started blaring. Li noticed and pulled me as James began keeling over, the remaining soldier following suit.

"He's blown it- We need to go NOW!'

I… I knew it. I had seen it before, my body was in shock. And then I began running.

'You! No! Don't run!'

'He's already dead he just doesn't know it yet!'

I felt him rage within me. Rage seethed alongside disappointment and grief.

"There's an old tunnel we used before, everyone else should already be there!"

"Then let's be there!"

'You've done it… Have you shot before?'

'Enough to use this well. I can't let him out yet!'

'… Keep them safe.'

The voice left.

-XXXX-

"What's going on up there!"

"Enclave! We need to get to the citadel!"

"Let's move!"

"Wait, you lot need guns. I dropped my pack."

"I don't expect you to shoot well but you need to help, take and lets go."

I had plenty of hunting rifles, Garza grabbed my shotgun. I told him to be very careful and we moved. I left a mine as a surprise. I sealed doors behind us with my rifle as we ran. Li began unlocking a door as we all hid behind cover. A group of Enclave soldiers were in a side room and we exchanged fire, blowing sections of cover. I fired methodically as I crouched as if I was at the range, ducking up and down letting the Enclave soldiers waste ammo whilst I conserved my shots. I fused shoulder plates, knee joints, elbow joints, I blew up laser riffles and scorched necks. Bullets whizzed through the air taking chunks out of cement and cracking power armor. Garza's head exploded suddenly, and I had yet to inflict a single fatality, just some casualties and damaged some armor.

I roared, from the walls I called my power, and in my hand was a ball of red light.

It's name was death.

Standing I unleashed a portion of it, a beam passed through a soldiers eye slot, killing him instantly.

"The doors open!" Li turned as she shouted, here eyes becoming sauces as she sure the light in my hand.

Another blast struck a soldiers weapon, destroying it and blowing apart his hands.

"Move! I'll cover you!"

I began walking back, the soldiers ducked in fear, one was too slow, the plate of his chin became molten as chunks blew out of his neck as I discharged the power, letting it drain from me.

"Close it!"

"Ghouls!"

"I'll take ghouls over power armor any day!" A scientist shouted, turning.

I drew my laser pistol as I turned, letting my rifle hang down as I fired into the approaching roamers they slowed to sudden stops as rounds peppered them from most of us. Li working to close the large steel doors. It only lasted a couple of tense seconds but I had almost bled the clip dry, I used the rest of it to fuse the door shut, preventing it to be opened. Taking a moment to breath we all moved on rather quietly, trading speed for stealth and the desire to fire first. Everyone fell in behind me in silence so thick it could be cut… But our caution didn't help.

As we walked out from under an alcove we were fired on from above, the awkward angle and their desire to shoot as soon as they saw us saving me, however my skin burned as a laser beam blasted along my cheek removing hair, and a plasma bolt struck a patch of concrete, turning it to vapour. Running back under where we were using I grabbed my mines and started throwing. Believing themselves invincible and the mines being just under the Alcove the two decided to jump, dropping at the same time. Ducking back and down the mines exploded as the soldiers entered the proximity detection field and we're detected to be of correct size. Both of them were hit by the full force of the blast, shrapnel passed through them and rent limbs, weapons overloaded and detonated cracking open and vaporizing sections of chest as the bits and mist were blasted back.

Moving up we scrapped stealth. In the distance we heard laser fire and the howls of ghouls, the sounds of men dying echoed within the sewers. I changed my laser riffle for my assault riffle wishing I hadn't given away my shot gun… Ghouls fell easier then soldiers, running into our fire. We stepped over piles of corpses that were blasted apart and past soldiers with heads and limbs ripped off, blood splattered the walls and made puddles from which we left red boot prints. We took turns through the tunnel attempting to avoid soldiers and ghouls, almost getting lost before Li spotted the door we wanted. Rushing to it she opened it, all of us stood guard.

The door opened.

My heart stopped.

A man in power armor was there.

I turned, gun in hand, a cry of warning in my throat.

Time came to a standstill, as I stared at the man who turned to me, taking in every aspect of his armor and seeing death in his flame thrower… This was it… This was how I was going to die. To some sort of specialist, set ablaze trying to help others.

"Brotherhood! Thank god!"

I couldn't tell which scientist said the words as they reached me in slow motion, but I saw the flame thrower lower by the millimetres. A scientist entered my field of view, his gun was pointed down. My brain stopped panicking. Friend. Time sped up, my voice coming from my lips in a shout.

"Close the door behind us!"

Li hit the button and dived in, the door slamming shut behind us. I heard ghouls roar impotently on the other side.

"Who are-"

"There are Enclave Soldiers on the other side!"

"Get away from the door!" The man hefted his flame thrower and we all moved away. Squeezing the trigger flames coated the door and it heated.

"Head up through the ladder, I will be up shortly."

True to the man's word, just around the bend was a ladder up, I went up first. I didn't want to risk anyone else and I did have a helmet.

-XXXX-

"We're… We're safe. The brother will have sealed the doors and probably be coming up. Come on."

I turned and followed Li as she spoke, my rifle low but at the ready as I followed her. She moved straight to some guy in power armor with some sort of mini-gun by a door into some large concrete building. He lacked a helmet.

"I am Dr. Madison Li. I have people with me in need of shelter you must allow us access at once."

"I'm sorry Ma'am, no unauthorised civilians allowed inside The Citadel. You'll have to leave now." The man looked at us amused, infuriating the doctor.

She moved up and pressed the intercom beside the gate.

"Lyons! It's Dr. Li, we have just been chased from the purifier by Enclave soldiers, open up!"

There was a moment. Not quite hesitation, and then the door opened. The guy reacted with shock which made me glad to see his face, and I heard the brotherhood soldier we met before climb out.

"Enclave arrived. They won't be coming through though. I have sealed the door with my flame thrower..."

"I… Thank you Paladin... You should have opened with that." The man turned on Li as she entered the citadel.

"We've just been being shot at with laser and plasma weaponry, chased by guys that seem nigh-impossible to kill, and have had to fight off ghoul packs. I think you can give the normally non-combatant scientist who has just watched several valued friends die a break."

The man stood his ground.

"I can't just open up just wily knilly civilian."

"It seems Dr Li is a name you should know then."

I simply turned from him, ignoring my the heat on my pauldrons from his glare as I walked into the Citadel… Which at a glance looked thoroughly ruined like everywhere else, until you passed through the second door…

-XXXX-

I ducked as I heard weapons fire, rising as I noticed people in recon armor training. There were men in power armor just standing around. If they hand any particular thoughts about us we couldn't tell through their helmets. I stood with the scientists as we waited. The opposite door opened, and a woman in power armor came out alongside what looked to be an elderly man… Maybe as old as Walter. He seemed to be examining us, his eyes focusing on Li as the women's eyes focused on me.

"Madison… I'm surprised to see you here. What can **I** do for you." The man had a small smirk on his face, but his eyes betrayed his concern…

-XXXX-

[POV: Dr Madison Li]

I struggled to control a glare as I snapped at Owyn.

"Don't talk down to me Lyons. Project purity has just been overrun by the Enclave, several scientists just died including James, just as we had a lead."

"… So you claimed. However we both know the purifier doesn't work which means it's useless to them-"

James son stepped forward, interrupting Owyn midsentence.

"If you'll excuse me, but they arrived just after we did and learned how to make it work. I would be unsurprised if the Enclave learned of how to get it to work shortly after us and that is why they came. And if they don't know from what I've seen they soon will."

Owyn eyes stared into E***'s eyes… "This would be James son… Seems you share some of your father's traits… You're his spitting image to, if he was slightly scrawnier…" Owyn turned his eyes to me.

"Are you sure you can make it work?"

"I… I'm sure. James was certain, we need something called a GECK…. If… If it does half of what he claimed it'll have the purifier working with little effort."

"Hmmm… You all look quite exhausted from your trials. Seninal Lyons, could you please escort these people to the bunks and go to scribe Rothchild. Ask him to try and find references to these GECK devices. After that I believe we shall have to have a planning session."

"I'll gather the captains to the greatroom Elder. James son-"

"You may call me Wanderer."

"Well then, 'Wanderer' I ask that you surrender your-"

"I am not surrendering a single weapon in my possession." E***'s voice was hard. His eyes challenged the Sentinal, and she did not yield.

"You may keep your weapons, E***. I haven't forgotten the name your father gave you, and you have my condolences, he was a good man. You may keep your weapons, they shall be left to you."

Slowly E*** turned from his challenge with Sarah, nodding at Owyn. With a shrug Sarah turned, walking off, obviously expecting us to follow. The Wanderer bubbled with excitement at the tech just lying around. Even the barracks had stuff lying around, but just seeing a bed almost sent me to sleep… It had been an such exhausting day…

Before I knew it, I was in dream land, lying face down on the bed. I wasn't sure if I had taken stuff off, things had kind of blurred...

* * *

I think you can guess what the nail is. Training Time. Practice. Knowledge of actual spells.

I'm thinking of creating a 'Story' of the various 'spells' The Five Coloured Walker uses over time. In this case TFCW calls himself Wanderer because that's what TLW has taken to calling himself.


	12. Chapter 12: The Evil of Man

Late chapter is late [Excuse List]

I hope you enjoy reading. I've tried to make it slightly less dialougy which may slow down writing however this was slowed mostly for other reasons. I probably wont add to previous chapters though until this one is complete.

* * *

I was stalking back and forth in the steel walls of the Vault which was my home, up and down the dinner. My footsteps echoed in the empty air as I growled. The infernal cat sat on the bar, licking it's forepaws as I waited… patiently… yea, let's go with that… The furniture was intact wasn't it?

"Isn't he asleep yet?" I growled at the cat, focusing my glare on him.

"In… 5… 4… Nope, he decided to take of his plates. Give it a minute."

I resumed my pacing, stuck here in my own brain. It was intolerable. I half wondered if I was going to polish a line in the steel floor.

And then he was there, right in front of me, yawning…

"Let me help with that!"

My fist slammed into his gut, the slow exhalation that was his yawn becoming a quick 'ooph' as he curled around my fist for a moment before I continue the extension pushing him down.

"HOW COULD YOU!"

I stomped over to his prone form, fists balled.

"YOU SAID YOU WOULD SAVE HIM!"

I moved to his side and kicked him, rolling him.

"BUT-"

Before I could continue the cat leapt at me, I stumbled tripping over and onto one of the dinner's loungers, claws in my face for a scant second before the cat leapt away, leaving large scratches as I tumbled under a counter-top bashing my shoulder… Growling I rolled over and crawled out, turning to see the other 'me' getting up, clutching his side for a moment before standing tall.

"I tried."

"Bullshit! I heard your thoughts! You just wanted to ride around!"

I walked around the countertop, my glare never left the others face whilst I kept notice for the cat.

"I didn't think he'd be able to do it that fast! And I'm not perfect! No one is!" Now he had become angry, his fists balling.

"You could have warned me!" I began to hear the after echo of my first shouts coming back from the empty vault.

"Why did you think you thought to try and get guards! I tried to get you to delay him but-!"

"You could have let me know they were coming!"

The other 'me' stood his ground as I stormed over, getting in his face.

"So you tell me one good reason I shouldn't be beating you into the ground!"

"I can still help you, and with me you did better than you would have. I'm just-"

"A useless sack of crap!" I shouted in his face, not caring if I spat. The asshole-

Oh, he just gut punched me! I felt myself bend over slightly but armoured as I was I simply shoved him, bringing my fist up to strike. He blocked, and deflected, slowly giving ground. When I kicked he trapped my leg and shoved but I managed to stumble back instead of falling. Lunging forward I grabbed him. Feeling his leg wrap around mine I began tensing, resisting his shove to try and put me on the ground with him on top. With a jerk I returned it, I was stronger and heavier than he was, but this was a shared experience, and grappling like we were my options were somewhat limited. And then I head butted him. My helmet cushioned the blow whilst his head snapped back, dazed. Disentangling myself from him I stepped back and forward, punching him in the chest forcing him to fall backwards. Suddenly I was forced back, my kevlar vest blowing outward in a flash of red light which reflected of the suddenly ionised dust particles in the air. The other slid forward, pumping his legs into my gut, forcing me to keel over them before he pushed me back with them, getting up. Before I could react his arm enlarged and turned green, punching me hard enough to slam into the wall.

"You ready to talk!" He looked puffed and stayed in his fighting stance.

Rolling my shoulders I charged him, roaring until something hit the top of my head, sending me spinning, I felt warm.

"I can keep this up all day. You… you…"

I just willed myself to endure, coming up I launched myself at him, my fist connected with the side of his face. Then his gut, then both to the back of his head, sending him crashing down. My breath came to me in gasps.

"You… don't… fuck… with… me… You… stay… out… of… my… head… you… got that?"

I chose to accept his groan as a yes, then I felt the dream world collapse, and everything went black.

-XXXX-

I awoke to the sound of the radio in my undershirt and pants… My eyes fluttered a moment before closing again. Apparently I had a pillow which I tightened my coil around, content to get a couple moments more and listen to the radio despite the hard bed.

"Hey everybody this is Three Dawwwwg, your local disk jockey. What's a disk? Hell if I know, but I'm going to keep talking."

Judging by the groans from the scientists already up this was a common joke of his and considered quite bad.

"And yes, that's right, I'm coming out nice and clear now for the first time in a long while for some of you far away folks, all the way from Megaton to Paradise Falls. Yes, Paradise falls, I know I know, but it's just a distance marker it's not my fault that hell decided to concentrate in that spot in particular. Anyway, as for some better news, you know that boy wonder the big ol' 101? Well it turns out he's a grand old Capital Crusader, cause not too long ago the boy wander heard a distress signal from Riley's Rangers saying 'Come Help. We're almost dead from super mutants, help our unlucky asses!" Now, your average joe doesn't exactly come running when they hear about super mutants, but this kid did exactly that… He now goes by the name 'The Lone Wanderer', so if you meet him he's a cool guy. Anyhow now, Riley's Rangers are out and about again, even fixed my dish up, which means not only can I get reports from you lot for the wasteland, but the wasteland is now good for music that doesn't come with a side of a random dictator… Speaking of which, there have been reports that the Enclave has returned to the wasteland, particularly to the west of Rivet City. Now, for those of you who don't know, they're the guys in the black power armor who shoot first. Stay away from them. For your sake. Though please do let me know if they head on out somewhere else. So, until next time, this is Three Dooog! And here's some music."

Not being a big music fan I didn't know what came on… But 200 year old music is better than 200 year old food.

"Hey, 101!" Some girl shouted out over the radio. It took me a moment but I didn't think it was a scientist.

"Why do I feel like that's going to be my new name?" I groaned into my pillow as I rolled onto my stomach, stretching out.

"Because it is. Get up, daylights wasting and Elder Lions wants to see you. I'll wait outside."

I didn't know who it was, but I think my groan made it pretty obvious how much I 'liked' them. I preferred my mornings slow. With a long, drawn out breakfast… That wasn't happening today.

-XXXX-

I was lead to the great room by a paladin in recon armor, one Paladin Radfield, a girl who just raised an eye at my obvious joke. When the two of us entered the room, we were directed to stand in front of the table, Where Elder Lyons, Sentinel Lyons, Paladin Vargas, Knight Captain Gallows, Star Paladin Cross and Knight Captain Durga were all seated. I decided to mimics Radfield's stance, legs shoulderish length apart, hands clasped behind her back.

"I was informed you wished to see me Elder."

"Hmm… More respectful now I see." The Elder nodded as he looked me over.

"I prefer not to insult people with laser weapons and power armor, even if they aren't wearing their helmets." I decided to crack my best 'This is only mostly a joke' smile.

I actually managed to get a few small chuckles from a few of them.

"Now, it has been decided that should you be able to retrieve a GECK, that it would be worth the expenditure of resources to force the Enclave from the Purifier. Last night I had Rothchild get some scribes to try and locate one, low and behold one's location has been found in the manifests as being in vault 87, far to the north west. However the vault is sealed and it's entrance is surrounded by rapidly toxic amounts of radiation."

Owyn stopped, examining my face as I furrowed my brow.

"Is there another entrance?"

"Possibly. There is a large cave system near the vault containing a surprisingly large number of very well armed children nearby that are quite self-sufficient and isolationist. It is believed that should you be able to gain access that you may find a way into the vault. However, our resources are thin, and the endeavour would be yours."

I closed my eyes as I thought. This was my dad's work. I was going to finish it. And I was going to make the Enclave pay. I would go through with it.

"Then the burden shall rest on my back. I simply need directions." The determination in my voice wasn't faked, there was not a single person who didn't nod, understanding exactly what I was saying.

The elder smiled. "And you shall have them. Now Paladin Radfield, you have been training under Gallows yes?"

"Yes Elder." She looked confused.

"Your power armor has been trimmed down for stealth has it not?"

"It has Elder, at Gallows request Elder." Radfields confusion only grew as realisation began to dawn on mine. 'No…. Not down that road.'

"Good. You will be going with E***."

"I… what?"

Her look of shock and confusion was almost mirrored on mine. I thought it was supposedly going to be my 'task' with no resources available. 'What gives?'

"Your stealth trained, you're better armored then he is, a likely a better shot. I can't spare much, but you've just made paladin, so I want you to lean what it's really like in the wasteland and show E*** how it's done, or learn from him, either way… Durga?"

"Yes Elder?" Durga turned in her seat to face the Elder, her face again impassive.

"I want these two to leave ready. I do believe that E*** has some gear you may interested in."

"Yes Elder." A frown tugged at her lips.

"Good. Are there any questions?"

The Elder looked around. Since only Durga had looked surprised before I could conclude that she was the only one uninformed, or I didn't want to play poker with the others given as all the faces around the table remained blank… But Radfield was studiously looking towards the floor maybe a centimetre past her boots… Last time I accepted help from some stranger they-

'OUT OF MY HEAD!'

I… I'd offer her an out at least. And sure, I was fine travelling with others sometimes, they were useful, but I wasn't up for betrayal or someone that would need more water traveling with me, someone who would only slow me down and get me shot at more than necessary.

"Do I have to take her Elder?"

Owyn looked at me dumbfounded. "You don't want the help?"

I looked around the various members of the brotherhood, whose faces were carefully blanked… No poker then. "I… I've had plenty of bad experiences with others, and particularly bad ones with those in power armor quite recently…"

Silence reigned at the table for a moment.

"I can't force you to take the help, and you've shown yourself to be quite capable. Durga, please arm him. You may leave when ready 101."

Owyn waved his hand, dismissing the pair of us and then waving Durga up and out. He looked troubled as he turned to his daughter; I turned and left quietly before anything else could be said. Remembering the way to the bunks I went to gather my stuff. Noticing footsteps behind me I slowed down for Radfield.

"Did you say no because of me?" Radfield's voice sounded hurt.

"No… No I didn't."

Relief flowed through her. "I… Thank you… I can show you around the citadel while you leave if you'd like?"

"That'd be appreciated, thank you Radfield. I'll be eating, seeing Durga and going."

"Ok… Let's get you ready then."

As I ate I took the time to chart out a path along the river up to where there was a northern bridge, at which point I planned on heading west, making sure I shouldn't get lost. It would get me close to the location pointed out by Radfield, who was at the moment describing the location. The scientists, particularly Dr. Li expressed concern about me going alone that I waved off, and once I'd finished eating I saw Durga, selling off the various riffles I found as well as some ammunition. For a load of caps I managed to procure a large number of MF cells and a functional plasma rifle, convincing Durga that it'd be useful should I run into Enclave soldiers… After a while and being reminded of the Elder's words she relented, and I headed off to the well wishes of a couple of brothers, walking out the gates and to the river which didn't even seem to be flowing…

But it was a landmark to follow, and it'd ensure I didn't get too lost, or stare at my Pip-Boy too long.

-XXXX-

The walk was pretty peaceful for a good long while actually, the morning and noon passed in peace, the only sounds being random fights off in the distance and the more peaceful animals of the wasteland. My luck didn't hold though, but that did mean I managed to get a chance to test out my plasma riffle. It launched green bolts which were quite slow and rather devastating. Against the unprotected like those who mentioned some place up north and then decided to kill me, it made nice flashes of ionising metals undergoing electron excitation where their body parts were, turning out to be quite capable of putting holes as big as my shoulder right through people… As the stupid idiots didn't find out when their heads became as hollow as I thought they were. The entire affair was over in two quick squeezes.

The benefits of Pre-War tech. Hopefully it worked as well with Enclave soldiers.

-XXXX-

In the dust of the waste land, it turns out to be pretty easy to spot large metal encampments. Who would have known?

I was on a hill not too far from the super duper mart, not-quite looking down upon what looked like an encampment. I spent a while watching through my laser rifle's new scope, just watching. From the looks of things, there were a pair of soldiers in power armor, someone in a Hazmat or similar suit, and a pair of turrets at each entrance. The soldiers had laser riffles, and it looked like the turrets had some sort of laser weapons.

'Turrets like those are normally full auto, but those don't look like laser mini-guns… They could be low power… Perhaps I shouldn't have changed for just energy weapons and my SMG… I've plenty of caps.'

I took a moment to breath and stretch. I contemplated using my plasma rifle instead but I didn't think it'd be suitable for sniping, even with the lasers low penetration against power armor.

The two soldiers were standing next to each other, talking, not paying any attention to their surroundings, and then a red beam of light struck him on his left check, slapping his head around as a crack of ionising air followed milliseconds after. My second shot struck him on the temple, causing him to stumble back and fall down as the other shouted something, running for cover as he pulled his own riffle out. Adjusting my aim I fired several rounds into the down soldiers neck/chest region to make sure he was down.

"I don't care make the turrets face that way!"

The remaining soldier shot wildly, trying to keep me in cover. I was all too happy to do, crawling backwards before moving to another position. After a moment I saw the air light up as the turrets raked where I was a moment ago. Rolling out of my new cover and into the open, I saw the soldier leave the right side of the camp, coming to flank. His eyes focusing on where I was meant he didn't see me as I took aim.

Air exploded again as my laser struck just above the mouth plate, sending his head cracking back. My next shot struck his chin, snapping his head forward, then his forehead, then his mouth plate. At this range it turned out it wasn't enough to melt the metal. It was enough to cause him to stumble back though, wave his hands around, than collapse. I must have destroyed his throat… Which left the turrets, pounding on the rock beside me that was between me and them, sending up a cloud of chips. I switched for my plasma riffle, falling back again, finding some cover.

Suddenly the turrets stopped firing. I stood up expecting them to be reloading or something, I quickly squeezed off a burst of bolts that reduced a turret to slag before the other spun up again, striking my helmet as I ducked leaving me flat on my back, the front of the helmet blown away. Not too long after I silenced the other with another bust, simply moving out of the area it was raking, it was a fairly stupid turret. I did hear a scream as I watched the turret initiate some sort of self-destruct, once the area had cleared I saw someone in what looked vaugly like a haz-mat suit, perforated with shrapnel.

"You don't hide near turrets moron."

I approached the camp with my plasma rifle out ready to shoot anything that moved, which turned out to only be flies inside a cage filled with partially dissected wasteland critters. There was a computer which I simply copied the data from for later reading, and crates filled with food, ammo and medical supplies. I took what I could carry and noted the location on my Pip-Boy…

I slagged what appeared to be a satellite antenna as an afterthought.

After that fight, the rest of the trip seemed easy. I snuck up on raiders. Was forced to slag a Gutsy who opened fire [It turns out that whilst rather tough they are very poor shots with their plasma weapons, which happen to be easy to dodge at long range… I suppose I should be grateful for that though…] Overall it was a violent trip, with every fight going my way… It does however seem that assault rifles are becoming more common as well as robots… The later could possibly be ascribed to the Enclave bringing some, but personally I doubted they'd set them loose which begged several questions.

Come nightfall I slept in an old power station after clearing it out with a laser pistol, partially as a challenge, partially because I didn't have an assault rifle for ghoul clearance any more, though only one was, a rather emancipated thing I through outside before locking up and mining the door, wishing the place had a proper bed.

-XXXX-

It turns out, that Little lamplight is quite easily spotted… By the large lamplight on the strange snowman-like carving in the stone above it

'Seriously? Sno- Get out of my head!'

I felt the other's presence retreat from my mind. I didn't want him in it let alone affecting it but I was unable to get rid of him just yet. Though I found his observation that it was Christmas lights set up before and through the cavern for light rather strange… Knowing the kids were isolationists, I decided to go in without a weapon drawn as I passed through the wooden door.

It turns out the way in was quite brightly lit for some reason, despite being devoid of people. It was also surprisingly windy. The cave seemed to breath, pulling at my clothes as I walked, somewhat amused by the stop sign as I came to some sort of wall… Of course I didn't stop.

"Hold it right there mister! Otherwise we'll blow your fucking head off!"

My eyes opened wide as I swivelled to face some kid in some sort of trimmed down combat armor holding a rifle… Wow…

"Woa, easy, easy. I'm not holding any weapons am I? I'm friendly."

"Nah, you just got them strapped all over you big guy. And I also don't know any BIG friendlies." He spat the word big like it was an insult.

"You better go out the way you just came in."

"I'm just looking for Vault 87. I heard it was connected to this cave, I'm just passing on through."

"You… You don't want to go in there. That's where the monsters are… We got pretty good at keeping them out. Probably better than you could do."

"Describe them?"

"The really big ones. Green. Look like people but aren't."

"Super mutants. I normally ignore them but I take on large raiding parties for breakfast. I need to get something from there and would be happy to clear them all out for you, if you can point me in the right direction…" I let my voice trail off to let him reach his own conclusion, trying to sound proud as I talked about killing mutants.

"I could, but it's through Little Lamplight, and you're not getting into little lamplight. Guess you better find some other way _Mungo_." That definitely sounded like an insult.

"Look, I really need to. What could I do to convince-"

"Nothing! No Mungos allowed!" There was that word again.

"How about if I hold my hands up away from my weapons and you point yours at me the entire time."

"You must think I'm stupid or something. I'm not going to fall for your tricks!"

"… How could I get in?"

"Why should I let you in at all? You Mungos are nothing but trouble. I ain't going to let what happened to Sammy and Squirrel happen to anyone else."

"What happened to Sammy and Squirrel?" I put on my best concerned face, which wasn't too hard.

"Them and Penny got caught…By Mungos, just like you. Slavers from Paradise Falls… I told them to watch out, but they didn't listen…" The boy grimaced… He probably hated the memory.

"… Paradise Falls… I've heard of the place and have been meaning to take a look at it… You say it's a place slavers go?"

The kid nodded. "Yea. What you getting at?"

I began unbuckling weapons, throwing them towards where the gate obviously was.

"Slavers deserve to die. I need to get in and grab a GECK from Vault 87. You have monster trouble from Vault 87. I'll go in, arms in the air, unarmed until you put my weapons near the vaults entrance and you can point as many weapons my way as you want, even keep some of the ones I have spares of. And I promise you, I will rid the Vault of **_any_** super mutants, the monsters,that I find. I'll also go and clear out Paradise Falls, and bring Sammy, Squirrel and Penny back to you. You have my word."

"I… If you try anything, we'll shoot you… They better come back… I've got to ask others."

The kid turned and jumped off. Not too long after he and a bunch of others came out, grabbing my weapons and pointing them at me, one grabbing up the rest up in a bundle of cloth. It was a very short and tense trip. You could cut through the tension with a knife… There was some guy leaving, a birthday hat on his head.

"Hey, you're letting a Mu- I mean, grown up in."

"Yea. He wants to charge the monsters, and then he's going to get back Sammy and the others."

The man looked me over… He couldn't have been more then 16.

"Well… I have to leave. Could… Could I stay and he could help me get to big town?"

"Uhh. Sure. We could give you a day… After that we assume he's dead and you have to go."

The guy nodded, moving back in, watching me… I thought the entire affair strange… Of course, being led by kids at gunpoint to a place called murder pass pretty much tops that. They threw most of my weapons down and retreated to some cover, watching me put my weapons back on and head out. One mentioned there was a locked door and I said I was good with locks, I was then told it was actually a computer problem that opened a door to the vault, I asked to try that way instead to potentially surprise any mutants… After some deliberation they said yes, McCreedy stating that they could hide behind the door and put down some mines in case he tries anything… It was an easy crack, and true to my word to cause no trouble, I soon found myself through a door, that I was told they'd lock behind me… With a deep breath, I motioned for Joesoph to open the door, and seeing nothing the kids motioned me through and threw my weapons in, shutting the door, which slid shut quietly, leaving me with the dim glow of lights of a reactor room…

"Well… Let's find a GECK.

-XXXX-

The air was dead in here… About as dead as the scientist that went mad listening to the kids of little lamplight probably was. It made it easy to hear the sounds of stomping mutants, however it would also make it easy to find me once the shooting started, which was two rooms in, to the left. However I left little to be traced as I shot the mutant once in the head with my laser riffle, his face exploded in a burst of gore leaving the back of his head intact. I tried not to retch at the obviously eaten bodies in the vault, and I mostly succeeded, but I was sickened by the mutants. They went from hostile because hostile to hated on my list of things tokill in an instant…

I can't say I didn't have fun using grenades, mines, a laser pistol, and their rage/stupidity to reduce their bodies to very similar states when I found a cluster of them and no useful sneaky way to do it safely… It turns out fragmentation weapons are as fun as rocket launchers, which I had one of now with plenty of missiles. And a minigun… All ways to save ammo…

Have I mentioned they like stringing up bags of dripping gore and leaving bodyparts just lying around… I… I did vomit a few times. Some of the rooms must have been 'dining rooms', if you could call what they did dining… However I had to press on, and that was the only reason I did…

However, cutting open a sack with a minigun by accident whilst blowing away a mutant was something for my nightmares… Later I found a terminal all but stating that they were deliberately created in the vault which was worse, and then another that stated it outright in the form of experimentation. I decided to keep an eye out for this FEV stuff… I didn't want to be anywhere near it…

However as I passed through the labs, tense and with plasma rifle ready, I heard something I definitely wasn't prepared for.

"You! Over there to the left! Please! Come speak to me! Use the Intercom over by the window."

-XXXX-

There's only so many reactions you can have when you see a begging super mutant hunched over in the window, his expression clearly pleading… I… I went over to press the button, then took it back, wondering what to say.

"It… It can't be… Either you're quite real, or I am going quite mad… Can you... Can you actually be a pure human?"

I took a moment before depressing the button.

"Well I don't think I'm going mad, so I'm real. So what exactly are you, other than a man eater."

"I… Only because it's all I can get. But you care who I am? Forgive me, but I am not used to pleasantries. I'm more used to grunts and being struck by others… My name is Fawkes. I've lived in this… Cage, for all my life."

"… Your kind must loose memory during the mutation… It's ironic that the others consider you a mutant-"

"Yes… Yes it is indeed. Forgive my astonishment, but I hadn't expected someone with such a learned outlook . It is a pleasant change. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. It was only a matter of time before someone like you showed up for the GECK."

I stopped dead, starring into his eyes, my voice becoming flat.

"What do you know about the GECK?"

"I know what it is. But best of all. I know where it is, and how to get your hands on it."

"… I take it I need to let you out in exchange. How many days old are you?"

"Days… I… I don't know. But I have needed to sleep a great many times. More than I can recall. But yes, if you let me out, I would help."

… I thought to myself… My gun slowly tapped on the wall as I thought, looking into his eyes.

"It's supposed to take your kind 14 days to go insane. You may yet but I doubt it if you've held on. How do I get you out? And what's to stop me from just finding it myself."

"I know… The room the GECK is in, it's absolutely flooded with radiation… You wouldn't survive long, in or after leaving. My kind however are almost immune to radiation. I could get it to you safely."

"… That's a good reason Fawkes, even with RAD-X and Enviro suits... Now how do I let you out?"

"There is a… Maintanence room, at the end of the hallway. Inside, you'll find the fire alarm for the medical room. Activate it, and the doors will all open. Though! A warning. It'll let everyone else out… Or you could try unlocking the door with the terminal, but that isn't what's normally used. So, do you think you can do it?"

"Yes. As for the others, even if their aggressive, it will give them release. I shouldn't be long."

"Good. Thank you, human."

The first thing I did was go over to the computer next to him. It was heavily encrypted, but given the security computers like these used, it was still only a matter of time… And I managed to do it in under a minute, the door sliding open. Then closed.

"I'll be back for you, I'm just going to look at the others."

"Waaait! Please!"

He stopped me mid-turn… I bit my lip. He was desperate… I…

"Why the fuck do I have to be the good guy?"

In a few more key strokes, the door opened.

"Get on out, get on in front of me. We can get the GECK after the others."

"Freedom! Finally Freedom! I cannot thank you enough for this gift! You cannot know how long I have pictured this moment in my mind… And it feels much better than I imagined!.. Now then. Let us go! I have a bargain to uphold."

Heading down the corridorI slew a centaur, and there was an insane man, who became aggressive after seeing Fawkes and I had to put down as he wouldn't calm, as well as some raider corpses. There were also more mutants who didn't care if they hit Fawkes when they saw him with me, he quickly learned to drop prone as I asked him to go unarmed, letting the gunfire and my plasma bolts wiz overhead… However after a while I took lead, he kept getting almost hit in the corridors and I knew I could take him, even unarmed, and probably surprised. Eventually we reached the area he claimed was full of radiation… I knew his words were true, as soon as he opened the door, my gieger counter began beeping.

"Go on Fawkes. I'll be waiting."

He wasn't long, and when he came back the GECK rested loosely in his meaty palms. It glowed a little, I asked him to put it on the floor whilst I put on radiation gear and then my kevlar vest over it, just in case.

"Here's the GECK Human. Our bargain is complete."

Near reverently he placed the GECK in my hands, and I emptied space in my large backpack [I had recently bought a much larger one].

"So this is where you and I part company. Let's leave… I suppose we shall have to part ways… I suppose I will see you again in the wasteland."

I stared at him as he turned around, shuffling away. I could swear he half expected me to shoot him in the back now…

I… I thought I should. He was a mutant. He was going to eat people. And if not, everyone would hate him anyway…

"Wait… You should at least have some weapons."

I then gave him the assault rifle stockpile I built up, and all the clips.

"Now… Now you can go… Get out of here, I want to check on this GECK and it may not surprise you that I don't trust you all that much."

Fawkes nodded "You are a good man human. I thank you for you generosity."

The GECK… It seemed to be a marvel in a suit case. It had radiation warnings and after a while I closed it. It looked surprisingly real and a little funny as it closed up into a suitcase. I found room for it in my bag before slinging it over my-

The silence exploded into noise around me, assault rifle fire raked off of metal and laser bursts echoed through the air. I shoulder my backpack and ran. There was only one way out, and there were only two groups with laser weapons.

I arrived just in time to see Fawkes sticking to cover. Some sort of weird grenade was thrown and I ducked back behind a corner. There was a deafening explosion of noise and the room I just ducked out of exploded in white light. I looked back around and saw Fawkes clutching his head behind cover, his movements sluggish before he collapsed. I then saw a Enclave Soldier come into view.

"No you don't!" I screamed my rage before I fired. My plasma rifle barked three times and the soldiers chest plate melted through as he fell back in a puff of ionized metal. The ionized metal was mostly gold this time in contrast to the green light of the plasma boltt.

"Hmmm. Mostly iron.'

'Shut Up!' I roared in my mind, blasting down a second Enclave Trooper.

"Where the hell did he get a plasma weapon!"

"He hit a Enclave camp sir! One of them-"

"They were only issued laser! Now move in and subdue his ass!"

"But sir!" The soldier seemed to be rather panicked. I wasn't surprised.

"That's an order!" The leader roared at the soldier. Not too long after a long burst of laser fire came through, I ducked, and then squeezed really small as it raked my cover.

"Grenade!"

"We don't have any stunners!"

"Then through a emp god dammit!"

Suddenly a the firing stop, I stood up over cover only to receive a heavy blue beeping rock to the face, nocking me back down behind cover.

The grenade exploded in a flash of static, with my skin touching the wall some of it passed through me, and I screamed in agony. My nerves where afire as I launched myself from the wall into the open. I turned and saw a soldier charging me in full power armor, I had no weapons!

The hum, it was black. Do something… It rusted before!

Without thinking I began crawling back, a hand shot out as soon as I felt the hum, and hydrolics rusted in place, the soldier toppled immediately, only to be followed by one close behind. His boot landed on my chest pushing me down my head slamming against the metal.

Pain flooded through me and he dropped another of those emp grenades on top of me before running back. I tried to move it off me.

It exploded, nonlethal but extremely painful amounts of electricity arced through me, I twitched and shuddered, my mind overloaded as blackness overtook me.

* * *

Did you know Pulse Grenades effect people to? No? They should.

Also, no Fawkes. Goodbye Fawkes. I don't hate Fawkes, but the lone wanderer shouldn't be letting a mutant that could well kill him be following behind, and the Enclave isn't exactly pro-mutant. I did think about dawing out the Enclave/Wanderer fight some more, but when outnumbered by a force with large amounts of grenades and laser miniguns and some training? Nah, sorry dude. Anyhow, see you all next update.


	13. Chapter 13: Fireworks Rock

My senses came to me slowly.

There was… A man… In a suit… The one from before. His face was scarred now though… There was a strange hum, and a blue field surrounded me, I was trapped standing up within the central one..

"Your finally awake." His voice sounded bitter.

"Let's keep this nice and simple. You're going to tell me the code for the Purifier, and you're going to tell me, _now_."

I groaned as I looked over the man, my mind chasing away the last vestiges of sleep… He seemed a little shorter than me, but I think I was floating a little.

"Dope me up and not even get me some bacon before you start asking me questions… But you got the wrong guy, scarface." I let myself smile, just a little. Not my most inspiring insult, but it got a reaction.

His face twisted in hatred. "You think I'm that stupid Vault Dweller? I know you were at the Purifier, I saw you-"

"I was there as muscle. Something that your face is missing." I cut him off.

"You think you can play with me, _boy_? You're in deep shit now asswipe, you're a traitor to the US government, you have stolen US property, and you have killed soldiers of the USA. You know what happens to traitors don't you? You give me that code, and I'll see if we can make a deal, but you need to start talking, right, now."

"You've got it wrong. You see, I have what you need. You offer me first, and that's even if I knew the exact code he used, which I may but I doubt."

"I'm running out of patience, _kid, _and I'm not looking to play games with you. So you-"

I spat at the field I was in "Step on in. Or better yet, come get one of your armored pussies to step on in. I'm sure I can make a game out of you."

He steps back, tilting his head. "Why do you insist on provoking me son? You wanting to die?"

Before I could speak I heard the presidents voice come out of something. At least. It sounded like the president, like from those eye bots… However it was coming from some sort of blue eye camera.

"Colonel. I have need of you."

There was a moment of silence as the Colonel glared at me.

"Mr President I have no time for other matters. I'll be with you shortly."

Now Colonel." The president laughed, but it was low, dripping with threat.

"… Yes Sir."

Without looking back on me the Colonel spun on his heel spitting the words as he stormed out of the room. I would expect to see and angry sneer on his face.

"Ahh. Alone at last. I do apologise for Colonel Autumn's attitude. He's been under a great deal bit of stress lately. I've no doubt that you know who I am, I'm sure you've heard my radio broadcasts. I'd like to have a word with you, face to face. I think there are a few things that you and I should discuss… You'll find your possessions in the locker next to the door, I'll unlock a way for you… And I'll unlock your restraints as well. I'll be waiting for you in my office. Please don't tarry."

The blue fields surrounding me shut off and I tumbled to the floor, I looked up and noticed the eye/speaker/thing was still watching me. Slowly I rose and moved to the locker… There was actually, seriously, everything there. It was like they wanted me to try and escape… They must be cocky.

I walked out armed and armoured with my plasma rifle.

"Hold it right there! You're supposed to be-"

I turned and looked at the man, my head cocked to the side… He was in plain clothes, aiming a plasma pistol at me.

"I be but a simple man, so you might want to take things slow with me right?" I drawled. I didn't know what one was but I did it, with my rifle aimed as his gut I somehow knew it would be rather intimidating…

'Now can you get out of my head?'

'Do you really think I should?' If the other guy was in front of me I would be seeing his eyebrows raised.

'No.' I disagreed. I might need him to escape… The paper pushing officer on the other hand.

"You uhh… You should go back to your room?"

He even said it as a question, he could tell how unimpressed I was, I could tell he could tell, something about the look of pants wetting terror is hard to mistake.

"Really, 'cause I was asked up to see the president, but if you think I should go back to my room…"

"That's enough Vault dweller. You can stop terrifying the man now. Jonathen you can go on your merry way, I didn't think to announce it to the base, thanks for reminding me." The president sounded damn near fatherly…

'No, wait… Aw that your daddy saving your ass.' A grin formed on my face.

"Yes sir! Thank you Sir!" The officer all but turned around and ran screaming… So he turned and walked as fast as he could while still claiming to walk, he took a moment to shoot me a dirty look when I broke down in laughter which I imagine cuased the president to shake his head.

"All Raven Rock personnel, this is President Eden. Our 'guest' from Vault 101 is coming up to see me, do not impede his progress. That will be all."

The transmission over, I was left with yet another steel maze to get lost in… Ahh, a map!

-XXXX-

I was staring up at a Deathclaw [so I had been informed both by voice and a soldier that saw fit to guard me, it was huge. Near on twice as tall as a man, it's claws were as big as my arm!], it looked rather strange and cramped stuck in it's tube.

"Strange." The word slowly rolled off my tongue.

"Yes, it is quite a marvellous creature." The scientist was nodding his or her head… I think. It was hard to tell with the full body suits and one way visors.

"Yes, marvellously dangerous, and for some reason an unharmed one was desired. Anyhow I don't think the president would like-" The chirp of the intercom cut off the power armoured soldier who looked to the nearby 'wall eye'.

"This is Colonel Autumn. Disregard President Eden's previous announcement. If you encounter the vault dweller, kill him and then bring him to me."

Something like a laser burst seemed to follow the Colonel's announcement before it cut off, and I looked almost panicked at the solder, stepping to the side, reaching for my laser pistol…

What? It's closest and most familiar.

However just as I set my hand on my pistol, the president's voice cut back over.

"This is your president speaking, Disregard all orders from Colonel Autumn, he is a traitor to the Enclave and America and has been stripped of his rank. If possible I want him brought to me alive."

The intercom shut off, leaving the president's annoyed voice in the air.

"So… Are you taking me to the President, or do I have to shoot you?" I stared into the soldier's eye slots as he seemed to think, the scientist beside me frozen. What at most must have been a second and a half somehow crawled into an hour, my hand on my gun ready to draw even as the soldier had his own laser rifle pointed to the floor.

"My loyalty is to the president. Follow me, don't shoot me in the back. Presley, it would be wise for you to find a room to lock yourself in."

"Yea... That sounds wise… I'ma just going to… yea." The scientist immediately turned and ran, the Soldier held his weapon out as he walked, ready to shoot anything that walked into his sights.

-XXXX-

The base was chaos, soldiers declaring themselves both ways, and only allowed laser rifles or plasma pistols apparently, judging by how plasma rounds were rather inaccurate unless they were mine.

Slowly we pushed forward; occasionally running towards the ex-Colonel's updating last known position. Base defences came to life in the form of robots packing rocket launcher arms and laser gattling guns, as well as turrets which would fold out of the roof to cook soldiers on both sides in their armor.

"Autumn has just been forced out of the security systems, turrets are now friendly."

The sounds of screaming within the base redoubled as turrets belonging to those soldiers declared for Autumn turned on them, pinning them to their barricades and cooking them in their suddenly melting armor. My group advanced quickly, I was even supplied with ammo as I blasted my way through soldiers, my rifle actually able to maim the other soldiers. Men began surrendering.

"Autumn is nearing the mainframe!" The president broadcasted in a panicked shout. I was slightly confused as the soldiers near me began running.

"Move move move! On the double push them down and through!"

"Why are we running!?"

"Just do it vault dweller!" One of the soldiers shouted at me as we ran, the next group, some two hiding in doorways saw our group and stepped back to avoid the withering laser fire, the enclave soldiers barely lost step but I couldn't fire for risk of hitting anyone, and the higher 'kick' of plasma weaponry. A few broke off to keep them pinned as we ran on, passing living quarters. A short distance away I heard pulse grenades and rockets detonating. And then there we were, there was a corridor filled with a handful of renegade soldiers, some against the wall firing with laser weapons even as Colonel Autumn stood back with his pistol, a 10mm, which seemed strange given what he could have… Of course, heard our feet pound against the floor caused him to turn and do a double take before the soldier in the lead of our group fired a warning shot.

"Stand down soldiers! You are supporting a tratoi-" The soldier shouted.

"It is President Eden that has turned Traitor!" One of the soldiers shouted back, however his aim was unsteady, and the shooting had stopped. I noticed the Colonel turn to run, and pushed out, stepping aside and aimed at the Colonel.

"Stop Autumn! Unless you think you can survive a plasma bolt!" I called out smugly. I really wanted to ionize a whole through him

He stopped dead, turning his head slightly to call out to his men.

"There's the man! He corrupted the president!" Autumn sounded strangely calm.

"From where? My Cell? Which I just woke up in." Were I not busy waiting to shoot I would have spat or shaken my head.

All the rifles from the other group turned on me, whoever these guys were they weren't about to give in… Perhaps they were the core of his group, was his 'revolution' early?

I felt the hum within me. It was dark and tainted and taking again, I tried to push it out even as I was suddenly a lot more concerned for my life.

'No! Don't! Wait a second!" The other shouted in my mind.

The seconds dragged on as everyone pointed weapons on each other.

"Stand down tratoirs, or we, WILL, shoot you.

The leader of his group delivered his ultimatum slowly, and suddenly I felt a wave of energy wash from me, the tainted energy leaving.

"Never!" A soldier from the other group stepped out, squeezing the trigger of his laser rifle. My life almost flashed before my eyes before I noticed something…

There were loose wires. 'Why were there loose wires?'

'Me.' The other me sounded smug.

The laser seeking to end my life never came, the lasers seeking to end the tratoirs life did. Soldiers ducked so more could fire, and laser streaked down the halls quickly joined by my laser, in seconds the smell of roasted and ionized flesh and metal washed through the hall, and all movement ceased. A robot trundled out, the kind with the heavy weapons. It rolled over the bodies, bouncing up and down as it did so before turning to look down the hall, staring at the Colonol's destroyed body, before turning again and moving out of the doorway, speaking in monotone.

"Thank you loyal soldiers. Tratoirs are being contained presently. Please join the door guard and move to protect the doors."

"What about the Vault Dweller?" A soldier piped up, curious.

"He is asked to move to the communications monitor, and it is requested you station your men outside of the doors."

"Acknowledged, transmit my thanks to the president. Alright Men! You heard the Robot! Hayden, Gabe, you two help topside, we'll remain down here… Go on Vault Dweller, the screens at the top, the one with the single band…" The de-facto leader began issuing orders as he turned from me and the robot, using half a second to motion me towards a room labeled control room… I was really wishing I had some armor on me.

-XXXX-

The control filled was with massive computer banks, just like I thought it would be, and just before the exit, there was as mentioned, a ridiculously oversized computer screen, with a single white band. After a moment the soldiers left and I waited. The door sealed shut, leaving me alone with the screen, and after a moment, the line began moving, and unseen projectors gave voice to the line, the voice of the president.

"It's nice to finally meet you young man, see you face to face and all that." The president sounded bored almost, the panic having completely faded from his voice.

"Face to face? You mean face to monitor." My voice was incredulous; 'Couldn't he make a better lie?'

"No, I mean every word I say. I am quite an honest man."

For a moment I thought, confused whilst wondering how he could be more patronizing, before it hit me… Or was more given to me by the other guy "You're… You're a computer?"

"I am surprised, I suspected you would get it right off the bat, however it's nice that you are so open minded. Which is good, for you have proved that you can be useful, there is something I'd like to talk to you about."

"And what would that be exactly, because I doubt I really have anything to talk to you about, just stuff to be told." I was a prisoner and all that, I was still more than a little bitter.

"Oh but we do have something to talk about, you wouldn't be here if you weren't important. Your country needs you, and none will truly give to their country if they are simply told to do so."

"… Right, the America thing. Very well, let's talk." The computer managed to come off as crazy as the Nash guy from Megaton who parroted the propaganda bots.

"Good. As you know, Super mutants, ghouls, and all sorts of mutants roam the land suppressing the people. These mutants must be cleansed before we can prosper. Your father's work can allow that to happen faster and more efficiently than previously possible…"

I suddenly became very still, and very attentive.

"And just how does my dad's work with the purifier…. Help?"

"Your father's purifier has the ability to purify all the water in the 'Capital Wasteland', providing clean water for all… With a simple modification, it can also be made to treat the water agents to destroy mutated creatures upon ingestion. In time, all the mutants will be destroyed, either of thrist or due to the agents, as will all mutations, and all the good people of the world would regain their health. I need you to make this modification necessary for this to succeed."

"You've got your own soldiers. How would this possibly work anyhow?"

"In front of you is a Vial of Modified FEV, it simply needs to be inserted into the control console of the purifier. Then the purifier just needs to be activated, the purifier will carry out the rest… As for my soldiers. Not all of my leaders, like Cornel Autumn always see eye to eye. They think my methods are too extreme. He's allowed his humanity to cloud his judgement, and he finds ways to countermand my orders, resulting in this little rebellion. And so I have chosen to keep this closer to the vest. And so I turn to you. I hope you see the larger picture, and what is at stake… And of course, if you're successful there is a place for you in the Enclave, perhaps filling the void left by Cornol Autumn stupidity."

… Images of grinning devils sprung to mind, for that had to be the expression the computer would wear if it could.

"… You… You are insane, no wonder Cornol Autumn disagrees with you. I've seen what FEV does, and simply genetic drift would mean that the FEV would kill everyone over time. You… This has to end. I mean… Has it even been tested? Where's the baseline?"

"Yes, the FEV virus has been tested, and I know that it was in fact the cause of some of these… Mutations-" The president sounded dismissive.

"You tested it? I have data from Vault 8?, which states that the FEV causes sterilisation because it see's gametes to be non-normal."

"Oh." Yea, Oh. Oops. Oh my. All the words that signify you made a fucking mistake!

"Yea, Oh! And how many generations did the testing run, how about over time exposure to radiation."

"That is none of your concern." The computer suddenly became defensive.

"Really? You didn't know it caused sterilisation, humanity would effectively be extinct in the region almost immediately, all races would be, how stupid are you?"

I waited, starring at the computer angrily.

"Hmmm… It shall need further testing… Isolating FEV… Other vaults will need to be accessed. The FEV will need-" It sounded like, no, it couldn't be

"No! No you don't!"

'How! How do I stop this stupid machine!' My mind was racing.

'Normally it would have self-destructed by now… Do you have any pulse mines? No… I've seen them enough, stall.' The other guy sounded only mildly concerned.

'Stall? That's it?!'

'Yes, Now get me a moment!' The other me just sounded annoyed as the hum which was becoming more familier came back to me, this time it felt like he was filtering the taint away.

"I thank you citizen, you just saved me from making a dangerous mistake-" The president sounded like he was trying to be diplomatic.

"And yet you plan on making another one! A big one!"

"And what is that?" And now he was back to aggressive.

"Utalising FEV! It needs to be destroyed! All of it!"

"The only reseviours I know of are here and in vault 8?, and those have already been transported to here. However FEV is perfectlys safe to use once it has been properly tweaked, I'll just have to make sure the scientists are more thorough." And then dismissive.

"And what if they're not! What if you and they make another mistake! What then?! And what about natural mutation of the virus?"

"Such is no longer your concern. However, it is still desired that you-"

"We're you seriously voted in office!?"

"What? No, I was not, however-"

My jaw dropped. I wasn't American, but now I thought I had a route… I was suddenly very thankful for the other guy's memories, for now the president was on the defensive, on the back foot, and had to take the time to think.

"So you weren't voted in… Your just another tin pot dictator, except actually tin."

"I am not-"

"I bet you weren't even designed to be a AI, let alone a president."

"No, I was. Just not to be a president. However the Enclave, America needs me, I needed to step in to fill the void left by the last president-"

"Ha! You weren't voted in, you weren't designed for it, you seized power, and by the sounds of things the others think there is actually a person hidden somewhere else behind that monitor. What in the world makes you think you deserve this position?"

"Because I am necessary and most capable."

"Well I've seen you make some grievous mistakes, so why?"

"Because I am necessary and most capable." The computer sounded less certain this time.

"Why?" I asked flatly.

"Because I am necessary and most capable."

"That, is, circular, logic." I spat each word, making it sound like the computer was committing a heinous crime.

There was a moment of silence.

"Errors located. Entering hibernation state to assess programming."

"No! Wait." I needed him awake.

"Halting. Yes citizen?"

"You need to stop this. You need to prevent this happening ever again, and you need to destroy the remaining FEV."

Another moment of silence.

"… Self-destruct system initiated. Civilian is requested to secure FEV vial to prevent dangerous aerosolisation and evacuate at once... Warning. All Raven Rock Personnel. Self-Destruct sequence has been activated. This is not a drill. All personnel are to evacuate immediately. Message repeats. Warning-"

I looked at the FEV Vial as it slowly slotted out. I didn't know what to do with it… Oh my god oh my.

'Grab it and run you fool. Dammit he is going overboard!' The other me sounded surprised, angry, and perhaps a fraction as panicked as me.

'I… Can you use your power to help?"

'Maybe! But fly!'

I grabbed the vial, turned, and ran.

-XXXX-

I ran full pelt out of the facility. Enclave personnel ran with me, at the moment too concentrated on surviving the imminent explosion to think about me, meanwhile out of the corner of my eye I saw vertibirds rising out of hangers filled with men. Rushing out of the doors I just kept running whilst others turned to stare at the exploding base. With several others feet pounding alongside and then behind me I ran, streaking straight out of the base into the desert, leaving the mountain that was Raven's rock behind me without a backwards glance. Something told me I didn't want to stay, and not just because the base was exploding behind me.

I didn't know it, but Raven's Rock was quite pretty in it's self-destruct, the night sky serving as a beautiful backdrop, but it was a moment that would remain in the minds of many soldiers as they flew away in vertibirds.

* * *

It turns out I underestimated how hard it can be to write sometimes. Anyhow, have a chapter.

Unfortunately because of how I saved wasn't able to have speech be as true to form as it could be [I'm sorry], and this section also underwent a couple of severe rewrites. At one point the lone wanderer was going to be rather dismissive and be blasting his way out from the start, but whilst cool it did seem a little stupid...

I think I may end up creating a 'story' of the various spells insert me comes up with in his travels. Feel free to tell me how you feel about that.


	14. Chapter 14: A Place for Broken Souls

[POV: 5 Coloured Walker]

Running off into the night may be a thing with some people, and visibility wasn't as bad as it could be given the fact it was the Capitol Wasteland, a place with clear blue skies where the idea of light pollution would only bring lots of 'Huh?''s to the table."

And 'The Lone Wanderer' may be an idealized me from back then, with me being pretty good at long distance running, particularly with a goal in mind or someone to run with. And keep in mind I wasn't helping him so much as just being ready.

But you try grabbing a random engineer who lives a fairly healthy if sedentary life [though perhaps a teen would work better], give him a couple of weeks of mostly walking whilst carrying around weights, and tell him to run off as far as he can in full armor, carrying all too many weapons with their ammo, food and water supplies for several days, medical supplies, as well as some engineering supplies and some random stuff that's heavy. See how far he goes before he decides it would be better to find some random hole in the ground to try and hole up.

And don't forget the long walk to vault 87, a constant stream of fire fights in areas were cover was the exception unless you wanted to run back down the corridor being fired at by assault rifles, then being captured, more firefights, and then sprinting out of a base along with a large number of people that could crush you if they veered wrong.

And that's how I came to be awake, holed up under the end of a collapsed old world bridge, hidden right at the back against some rocks, with no protection except my gun, trying not to collapse and actually sleep a true sleep, not a drug induced one… It was how I also had one of my first real discussions with 'The Lone Wanderer'… I hesitate to call him me, even now, despite him having been reabsorbed. Were a shrink to look at me he'd probably say that that's just how fiercely the split personality thought of itself as being entirely separate, despite the body sharing.

-XXXX –

[POV: The Lone Wanderer]

I was exhausted, tired, cold, and trying to ignore what may or may not the sniffing of a Yoa Guiy, my plasma rifle the only source of warmth, left sweeping through the open slit of the bridge, wishing I had mines.

'So… Apparently I'm stuck with you…' I addressed the other thing in my head. He was more than just a voice, that much was certain.

'Huh- Oh… I think so…' He sounded confused.

'You think so?'

'Well the only way I've heard of things like this are in… old cancelled tv series', and some really old books. The former however good is closer, but doesn't give me anything to help, and from the later I can say I'd be being treated delusions before split personality, and I don't see you joining with my mind.' He seemed dismissive of the thought.

'You may well be right…'

For a while there was a sort of awkward silence.

'So what's your name?'

'I… I'm surprised, but my names E***, the same as you… Why?' He sounded confused again.

'I wish I had popcorn.' This was the 'voice' of the cat…

'Shut up guide.'

'I'm just saying, this looks like the awkward stuff that makes you half leave the room.' The damn thing sounded pleased.

'Well hello you. I almost forgot you existed.'

'Says the one that shouldn't exist.'

I growled at his dismissive tone, an actual growl.

'Guide, if you're going to be like that find a corner and imagine popcorn, but shut the fuck up.' The other guy sounded just as angry as me.

'Fine, fine. I'm going. Sheesh.' I felt a presence retract as the cat spoke, were it real I would have been glaring at it.

'Good… Um… Yea, why are you talking to me all of a sudden?'

'Well if I'm not getting rid of you then you could at least make for conversation so I don't fall asleep here. I just want to wait for my chest to stop burning then I'll set out slower, find a door I can lock myself behind until I can find some mines… Where are we?-'

My question was rhetorical as I flipped through my Pip-Boy, finding myself being far to the north of any place I knew, and west of anyplace decent to hole up in.

'That's a long walk... I hope the Enclave doesn't catch up to us by then.'

I scoffed.

'You and me both… And you can't be E***, I'm E***, you're not E***.'

'Well I am, so the two of us are stuck with it. My middle name is L******, what's yours?'

'…Catherine.' For a moment I considered saying no, but embarrassing as a middle name or not, it would be disrespectful to my mum.

'Well then. I'm El, your Ec.' He stated, as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

'Seriously, Ec?'

'Why not?'

'Because it sounds like easy.' I'd be rolling my eyes now were they not watching shadows.

'So?

'I'd rather you not decide to use an insult for my name.'

'How about Echo?'

'Really, do I even need to pick apart how that's an insult.' I was becoming annoyed.

'Hey, my names a girl's name to my knowledge, so pick one.'

'If I wanted to call you a girl I'd call you E****. My last name is Thorn.'

'ET, I like it. You can be ET instead.' He laughed at me.

'Greaaaat. You can go back in your box now.' I wanted to glare at him.

'Hey, look, sorry… Etho, etho and not a insult. Ethos?'

'Turning to pretentious Latin now… But I think it works El.' My mental voice calmed a fair bit.

'I'm glad we can settle on names, but I'm not exactly an exciting person to be honest.'

'Really, I'm sure your recent history provides plenty to talk about, like why exactly some humming sound means that most definitely is not natural…'

'Yea, there is that… Ok. What did you want to know?'

'Well. You said you died in a car crash right. What was life like pre-war?' I tried not to sound to curious.

His reluctance however was rather strange, considering what he said.

'I… It wasn't your world's pre-war. I want to say it was the real world but I can't say for certain… But it was calm, everything was simple… Mostly. Things were good. Though from what I hear, your world was starting to be on it's way towards a propaganda filled big-brother land… At least in America, to my knowledge '

Now I was rather curious. 'My, your, what do you mean?'

I got the feeling that there was an eye roll from him. 'Have you heard of the infinite world's theory?'

'No.' My answer was as flat as it could be.

'Well… There was a theory that there were infinite realities, where every possible variation plays out… And apparently in the magic worlds, that's true. Among other things…'

'Such as?'

'Well, apparently there's that and more. Apparently there was one universe, and apparently every idea in that universe plays out as well, which makes the multiple universe theory true. As well as the flat earth and so on and so forth.'

'Ok… Wait, you said you knew things, apparently future facts…' A horrid idea bloomed in my head.

'You're wondering if you're just some character in an idea world?'

'I… Yes. Am I?' My body was still as I paid all attention to El…

The silence I got in reply was deafening.

'Your… No… No… Can't… Bullshit!' My mind was realling.

'Does it help that I'm living out in part a card-game, with a meta-reality based on a game for young children, and living another.' His words were flat.

'Wait! My life's a game! This! No! It-'

'Butch tried to steal the sweet roll that… The old lady gave you, because the robot tried to cut your cake with a circular saw, making a right mess. And then when you went outside ahead of your dad about your special present, someone else gave you that really depressive poem, and you caught the tail end of The Overseer calling you a brat and saying he was there only because of your relationship with Amata.'

-XXXX-

[POV: The 5 Coloured Walker]

I have suffered BSOD's before. I wouldn't call them Heroic BSOD's, but I'd had them, I knew how I physically acted and felt emotionally in such events, but here I was, watching it happen to another mind. The plasma rifle dropped to my knees and my shoulders dropped, back hunching. His mind shut down. He wanted to keep refuting, but he knew I wasn't there then, and it hadn't registered to him I could pluck it from his memory, not that I did, otherwise I would have been more detailed… My chest began heaving and the mind retreated. There was no time for this.

As Ethos retreated, I filled the gaps, to an observer it would appear like I was throwing my head back, caught somewhere between a wail and a breath, before pushing what had tipped me over to the back of my mind, the gun raising in my hand.

'Ethos?' I called out in my mind, concerned, my brows furrowed.

For a moment there was silence, and then a whimper. He would need time to process, but we didn't have that time, we needed to move. I checked my Pip-Boy, I needed to head south, and find another crossing. I didn't have the GECK, I could only hope the Enclave had already gotten it to the purifier and I needed to get to the Brotherhood. Hopefully he'd have it together by then, I wanted him out so I could control, but not because I broke him, but because he chose it, hopefully because he had finished chasing his dad and I convinced him out… After a moment I plotted a course on my Pip-Boy.

'Ok. I'm ready to move… Let me know when you're up to talking ok?'

I tried to keep my mental voice soothing as I crab-walked/crawled out from under the bridge into the wasteland night.

-XXXX-

The night passed uneventfully, were it not for my lack of mines and the lack of doors, I would have spent it in a nearby truck that had been converted into lodging, the previous owner disappeared, instead I snuck quietly through the night past mirelurk packs and stray Yao Guai, probably the only creatures potent enough to have the Enclave give them wide birth, even with their weapons, with the dawn finding me hidden away in raider camp along the highway made mostly out of sandbags and blown out cars, clearly cleaned out by the Enclave given the signs of laser damage on the few bodies and the burnt out car husks. The mines and grenades I found allowed me to make up a make shift perimeter and alarm system as I moved to rest in a ditch, pulling a board over me, further hidden by many other similar boards and the various burnt out cars.

However, in the heat of the wasteland, sleep doesn't come quickly. The sand whilst cool to begin with quickly began heating as I was not in a true burrow, and insulated as it was it was quite warm. And then the cars began radiating, reddening my back as I shifted in the furrow I had worn in the sand ditch…

And in addition to being hot and sweaty, I was in my armor. The leather meant I was just a little warm around the few metal sections, and I had buried by Pip-Boy so that I didn't cook my arm like I normally did in the wastes, even with its leather undercover… However you could only get so tired before you rested…

In my state my dream should have been dreamless, just like an exhausted collapse, however Ethos was there, in the darkness, unwilling to create a dreamscape he simply sent me questions in fearful and inquisitive tones, to which I tiredly responded.

'So… I'm a character?'

'Yes.'

'…Are you?'

'… Maybe.'

'Maybe?'

'Did you think you were?'

'No… And you don't think you are… What… What card game?'

'Magic the Gathering… Basically there's a bunch of people in fictional worlds that can travel the planes, being very magical they learn magic that they power from their surroundings, I think…'

'Do… Do they normally come to worlds like this?'

'No… Probably half for legal reasons, but apparently mine is also not a normal travel.'

'…How so?'

'Normally walkers come in their own bodies. According to the guide, the one who claimed to be teaching me forced me to dream walk. As he never did it himself, he doesn't know much about it.'

'What do you know?'

'Apparently, I replace the mind of someone whose about to die, or be involved in some sort of upheaval. Something they don't want to do.'

'I… I wouldn't of wanted to do this. Why did I stay?'

'You didn't. I… Made you, somehow. I'm not an expert in split personalities, but apparently they can be formed in times of stress to protect the whole.'

'So… I'm like… Ablative armor?'

'…Yes.'

He didn't ask for a while, my mind returned to it's rest, only to be called upon later.

'So. What happens to me?' Ethos sounded angry.

'I, I don't know. But you know I don't want to be stuck out of the body I was forced into, though I don't want to force you into my position.'

'… I've… I've felt my hold loosening, as I… As we…'

'I know… I suspect after time we will merge, or after you've done what you're ment to do.'

'And what is that?'

'To live as the wonderer was supposed to, to help me survive in the wasteland.'

'And what was I _supposed _to do?'

'Finish your dad's work. Provide the wasteland with fresh clean water, at least, when I… yea.'

'And what if I didn't?'

'If you didn't help me live, we may well both die… If we didn't complete your father's tasks… That one I don't know. However I doubt you'd complete them only to contaminate the project with FEV.'

'… You are right… And I'm not going to delay… That's not me.'

'I'm… I'm glad your not as petty as I could be, though I'd like to think I would not either.'

'And… When I'm done?' Now he sounded scared.

'I have my powers to learn, and you know how I am and how I would try to act in the wasteland, for you are my ideal. Me at my most bad ass and moral, bending slightly to not break, but always doing the right thing… You… You would become part of me again, I think. I'm not sure how that'd feel for you.'

'Hopefully not as hot as it is now.'

'It is hot… Perhaps it is morning again… Do you wish to walk?'

'… I am your ideal am I not.'

'You are… It's time to great the morning.'

I let the world fade further from me.

* * *

Ok, I'll say it now, it didn't feel right in the writing, but I do hope you liked, my plans for the next one should be flowing better... Hopefully it'll also be sooner.

And I'll say in now, whilst following the main quest line has the game almost done, this fic isn't near done unless I chose to separate the bit where TLW has left the building. I've definitely got Paradise Falls to go, I'm thinking of actually visiting Oasis, I'll probably do The Pit and maybe Operation Anchorage. Let me know if there's anything you would like to see in particular and I may do it.

As for a few recent reviews, look at the name, not just a black planes walker, though black is a fairly common mana in the wasteland, however if it was just black there would be no animals or plants. Also, not Erza, this is a self insert [made clearer], but the second letter is right.

Also, I am thinking about making a story that is just the spells that T5CW learns over time, let me know if you guys would like that. Until then, I hope you enjoyed and can bare to wait until I next put fingers to keyboard.


	15. Chapter 15: The Body Still Thrashes

I had long since decided that vault dwellers had worse high light vision than everyone else given our lives in the minimum light vaults, it was something that stretched wake ups in the Wasteland a ridiculously long time, like now, as I slowly worked my way out from under the wooden board, letting my eyes adjust yet again to the painful brightness of the day. I took my time munching on some pre-war food and drinking some water as I disarmed the mines I set up.

"So, following the coast, taking the next bridge, following the road… Passing through Megaton and then following the path I took with Dad before, skirts the Supper Mutants and hopefully the Enclave… Ok, a long walk, let's go…."

-XXXX-

As far as wasteland walks go, it was rather safe. Nice open areas, the occasional rock formation… Lots of robots though. Almost all of them I killed in surprise attacks, taking power cells and moving on, the most dangerous ones being some of the robo-brains in a dead forest, however I was more adept at using the cover the trees provided and using plasma weaponry, so the fight wasn't even that dangerous. It was annoying however, correcting my Pip-Boy's map constantly and marking routes as non-existent, such as filled tunnels and collapsed bridges, at one point I was almost tempted to go for a swim.

Every now and again El asked me to stop a moment, something about 'Wanting to check the lands Mana.' I figured it was this magic stuff and didn't ask. I didn't need or want to know, I had stuff to do, people to evade should they ever show up [given the colors of the robots being some sort of military camo I assumed I was being searched for] . Of course, this was all in the mourning annoyance of trying to get over the glorified puddle that ran through the wasteland without getting my fancier gear wet.

Fortunately south of what looked to be a ruined town a section of bridge and mag-lev lines had collapsed in a way that I could crawl over the rubble… I just wish whoever built the bridges built them just slightly sturdier, given that even those that stood were tenuous things held together by think metal wire, and some sections bridged only by board…

However, I almost wished I hadn't crossed there.

Every time you forget the depths of human cruelty and malice. There is a raider camp.

Where cut up bodies are laying round.

Corpses are strung up and posed, left to rot, sometimes still bleeding.

And other times, you find mercenaries in decent armor, filled with holes and beheaded, set up as some sort of macabre swing or hammock.

5 Axles pit stop. Home to three sleeping raiders and many tortured dead. I left it a mine field with the raiders dead and those that were strung up I moved off to one side and used their gasoline to burn, the raiders I left dead in their beds where they never rose, a mine hidden in there. Had I paint I'd mark it as an ex-raider camp and a mine field but there was none, so I left the place for the raiders buddies, because there was no way on this dirt ball that this place was home to only three raiders.

Funnily enough, as I left I saw a intactish billboard with a 'rebuilding America' propaganda add for the Enclave, maybe even knew, and bearing a man in what was Enclave armor. It made me wonder what sort of person saw that place and left it standing. I refused El's request to check the area's mana, he may be interested but I didn't want to stay.

There are those who wander the wasteland and always come out with a new tale of daring escapes, tense fights and close calls. But for me, 'The Capitol Wasteland' is just 'The Capitol Wasteland', lots of brown, the occasional life, which you often have to scare away by shooting, and plenty of idiots to waste because you know they'd shoot first if they saw you and you know they aren't worth the air it takes to keep them living. Some might call my tactics underhanded, but how often do you want to hear about the Radscorpian who I blasted around with my assault rifle to go running off. How often do you want to hear that I ran across a group of Talon Mercs, and knowing my bounty riddled them before they could get their crap together, or even my first Deathclaw Kill, being to me a few simple squeezes putting a rather wounded beast out of it's misery.

And do you really want to hear about me discovering yet another shade of brown? It turns out there are a lot of shades, even for a man's eyes, and the wasteland has most of them.

So when I tell you, my trip was mostly uneventful as I passed the vault hidden under the scrapyard, I mean every now and again I wasted ammo helping the gene pool or scaring away animals, occasionally getting something useful in return, like more ammo, or fresh plates for my armor. But there's only so many times I can think about sighting down a rifle and thinking 'Am I doing this right? I'm supposed to be a good guy.' And going 'If I don't do this, I could die… Slow breath in, slow breath out, squeeze, maybe morn for them later.'

I chose to think that I mourned and regretted was what made me a good guy in this sort of situation… It's what let me sleep at night, and in the waste land, that's important, because there are plenty of dumb fucks who will shoot at you as soon as they'd look at you, or shoot you in the back after a peaceful talk, I should know, I've seen it, though I've fortunately never been on the receiving end…

That, and do you really want me tell you how many times I had to stich myself up, replace a piece of armor, or watched as the other guy healed me and some of my food disappeared, or sometimes didn't?

-XXXX-

I arrived at Megaton shortly before dusk, heading straight for Moira's before she could close. As soon as I entered she gave me that cute little smile.

"Hey your al- Wh-." Slowly she quieted as I held a finger up and dropped my backpack, frowning.

"Do you really have to greet me like that?"

"I just wanted to show you some of what I got you before you started, give you something to grin about."

In exactly 3 seconds I had her cooing over some laser weapons, assault rifles I had stripped cleaned and repaired, the idea of a energy cell recharger that she helps me set up [which meant I had abundant ammo], and gave me a moment to desperately wish she had more caps , however I managed to get rid of most of the junk weighing me down… I even managed to convince her to buy a sniper rifle sans scope, with that and some work I managed to scope both my laser rifle and some plasma rifle [it was less work getting her to buy a magnum after removing it's scope].

"Ok, I'm giddy, but where did you get this all from?" She looked at me, wondering if she should be worried.

"From cleaning up the gene pool."

"Ah. I hear it's a pretty dirty pool." She smiled again.

"Yea. I even had to leave some stuff behind unfortunately."

"Now that's a real shame. So how'd you come by the Deathclaw hand, I hear those are really fearsome creatures." She beamed, I could tell she was looking for a story for the book.

"I saw a wounded beast on its last legs and put it out of its misery. The thing was riddled with holes but it had eaten recently, so I figure it got it's revenge, or someone was taking out theirs." The words came out matter of fact.

"Oh… I see. Will you be staying long?"

"Nope, just sleeping and running. I've got to meet with the Brotherhood of Steel to try and get a handle on the Enclave."

"You… You're working with the Brotherhood of Steel?" She sounded awestruck.

"Not so much as I was allowed in for some directions, and it turns out they hate the Enclave very much."

"Still, it must have been exciting entering the citadel, what's it like?"

"Imagine a bunch of people, some in power armor, training and living out their lives inside a large building and you'll get most of it… I didn't really stay long, but I'll look around this time, get you a good story."

"Yes, that would be fantastic, thank you!"

"Moira, it's clock off time." The mercenary sounded quite bored as he watched us from his corner.

"Oh, ok… Well then. It's time to lock up you 'Capitol Crusader', yes, I've been hearing about you on the radio… So, I'll see you when you stop by next, have fun, don't die!"

Moira suddenly hugged me. It was something I had quite a few mixed feelings about, me remembering Amata, the sensory experience, and El having been single for a little while… I returned the hug, took a moment to be glad I was in armor and cursing myself for being busy, and excused myself… I'd probably be up a little while tonight. Or not, there was that moment and my arm was still sore from where I'd gotten some blisters from a near miss from a laser pistol.

-XXXX-

I was kept up at night, but not for the reason I thought I would.

I kept hearing hums… After a moment I noted them as being similar to the ones from when I've drawn on this 'magic' stuff.

'Is that you?'

'Huh. Yea and no, why?' He sounded confused.

'Can you stop, I need to sleep.'

'Oh… Ok.'

'Thanks.'

I rolled over and went back to sleep.

-XXXX-

And dawn broke, the shack heated, I checked my weapons, wishing I had a full-auto plasma weapon [However I could squeeze the plasma and laser pistols triggers fast enough that they counted, sorta], and left, quickly finding and following a road heading south, and then turning to join one headed east towards The Citadel…

And ran straight into an Enclave outpost, where people were happy to shoot lasers, plasma and fireballs at me….

Yes. Fireballs. Great big balls of hot fuel somehow flying in cohesive fashion!

At accuracy of not quite man-point.

And so, I did what any other sane rational person would do after surviving a volley of fireballs followed by what seemed to by 5 separate laser and one plasma weapon opening fire towards my standing ass.

I ran squeeling like a little girl swearing with all the words I knew while hoping I didn't have a heart attack. Wait, that doesn't sound like a rational decision?

Would you like my shoes? I'll keep my pants but only because they've gone brown and yellow.

Anyhow, I ran screaming for cover, zagging between concrete sections of something before reaching some building and hiding behind a pillar I decided was sufficiently thick enough. In trembling silence, pressed against the second closest pillar, ears straining, plasma rifle clutched so tightly in my hands I could have sworn I was about to break it.

And I edged, slowly going around the corner of the pillar, waiting for some red beam of death I would never see to end my life…

The edge came around, I could see… I wasn't dead.

I was just staring towards an Enclave power armored trooper with a fireball mortar, 3 Robo-brains, and an Enclave radio bot. The Enclave trooped was randomly fireballing areas as the robots roved, trying to find me among the ruins, obviously not seeing where I ended up. Edging back around slowly, I considered my options.

'That fireball launcher needs to go. I can shoot it with my laser rifle and that'll be the end of it, then I'll have to shoot and run with the plasma rifle… No, Eyebots aren't too strongly armored and I can shoot the brain of the other bots cause some idiot stuck them in an openly showing glass case, thank gods.'

'I… There's nothing I can really do here unless they get closer, I wasn't able to-.'

'I don't need details and I'm not letting them get closer, but I need better cover.'

'Crouch, be prepped to run for another pillar, Robo-brains are horrible shots due to how they house their pistol and use it, they eyebot and the trooper are the only ones you need to worry about. You can do this.'

'Your right… I can do this… I can do this… I'm insane.' I was shaking as I held my laser rifle in my hands.

'No, insane was the robot you talked into self-destructing… Besides, you could let them get close and then throw out one of those plasma grenades you didn't get around to selling.'

'Yea. Ok… Alright. Common, just aim and squeeze.'

I turned, crouched, edged to find how I could be in the most cover, and then quickly sighted in on the troopers mortar, as soon as it faced me, I moved my scope passed the barrel, I wasn't truly trying to aim, I just squeezed as soon as I thought the marker was in the mortars hole. And it was a hole in one as the beam of laser blasted through to the napalm storage…

Boom would be a understatement, in a fraction of a second the goey substance absorbed enough air for the residual heat to cause it to ignight and explode, causing the tank to explode a moment after, blowing the soldier who was already off balance onto his face, rolling around as he was covered with flaming napalm… There was only so much even the vaunted Hellfire Armor could withstand, not that I knew it was actually any different.

This left 3 rather angry Robo-brains and a eyebot, all who began spraying fire. The eyebot began first, and being more accurate hit the pillar a little above my head, flinching I sprayed a wild burst at it, blowing apart it's weak frame as the Robo-Brains turned on me. In there big, slow, trundling, armored goodness of spray and pray.

I can't say I kept my cool, I didn't have it to begin with, I hid, I sprayed, I prayed. Laser fire streaked around and off there frames as I fired barely looking, eventually swapping for my plasma pistol, occasionally daring to lean out slightly further to place a hole through their frames. The ammo they and I wasted was immense… Eventually the soldier got up again, enraged and in immense pain, only to get hit in the face by a stray plasma bolt which put him out of his misery… Given how he was by far the most dangerous and better armored, it could be considered ironic he was killed by a lousy pistol bolt that was a wild miss.

Eventually, after much terror and regained confidence, I was the last one… functional I guess. It took a while before I started moving about freely again, constantly looking for the other shooter, the one with the plasma weapon, before finding tracks in their camp indicating that whoever it was ran off, and judging by the boots it wasn't someone in power armor, so probably one of those officers from before…

I took a moment to be glad I wasted energy cells instead of microfusion cells, reloaded, looted, and began looking for a private place to clean myself… My pants were getting uncomfortable.

-XXXX-

I was clean, I was cautious, I was moving slower, and I got to the Citadel, safe and sound and free of other combats. Despite noticing strangely painted power armored people in the wastes. They didn't look Enclave, but they didn't look Brotherhood, so I wasn't risking it and gave them a wide berth… A very wide berth. A city block of waiting behind them for them to keep walking into the distance wide berth…

I did consider it nice for one Enclave camp to announce it's presence with a bright blue glowing force wall…

-XXXX-

The Citadel, the not-too hard to sneak into fortress of you don't want to go in there unless you make nice with the guys who could probably kick your ass [not mine, yours]… A welcome sight of rust free [mostly] metal and stone that had me half jogging to the door, without my exhaustion. Coming around the front I slowed to a stop, confused by the surprised look on Paladin Bael's face.

"You! But everyone thought you were dead!"

"That is true, but the Enclave had other plans. Now their home is a crater." I boasted in my most nonchalant voice, getting the attention of the other paladin and the security bot.

"You, you got captured by the Enclave and destroyed their base?" He looked at me like I sprouted another head.

"Yes. By accidentally talking the AI controlling the base into suicide, but yes." It was an accident, but it was my glory.

"Oh… Well… You should go inside, the Elder is in the lab and theirs rumors they're planning an assault on the purifier." He stated simply.

I was exhausted. I had just fought the Enclave in a surprise attack that almost got me roasted, chunks removed, and perforated, and now I was probably going to be dragged into an assault on the purifier.

'Fist me with a supermutants hand I'm already too exhausted for this shit.' I shook my head as I looked at the ground. I looked up to speak only to be interrupted.

"I think someone might have a hand as a keepsake hidden somewhere but I don't see someone doing that to or for you."

"I… I said that out loud?"

"Said what out loud." Bael put on his best innocent face as the paladin next to him snigged... The robot didn't do anything, probably not an advanced enough AI for it.

"!... Oh nevermind… Today's been too long a day for this shit."

I walked inside, trying to think of how I could stave off getting set alight.

* * *

Well, it's earlier... Wasn't that much to say really, though the next two should be sufficiently large [I'll try to do the endgame over two chapters, not that the game will be ending, or this FF, it'll go on a little while before T5CW planewalks next [another 10-15 chapters post endgame maybe, possibly more], only hint being that it's some plane with a established multi-verse and one with spells/magic etc.

I'll probably end up rewriting the start, only to make it better for the reading, now new stuff [given the drop in readers that steadies after chapter two, apparently allot of people read 1 and go 'not bothering to read something following stations of cannon for the start.'].. Half tempted to split the next bit into it's own story.


	16. Chapter 16: The Knights in Rusty T-54b's

More than a few of the initiates took a moment to look at me before returning to fire. Having seen the labs on the way in last time I didn't need a guide as I walked past the many training initiates.

The Laboratory may not be a vault, but I was on edge the moment I entered, my feet tiredly stomping along the metal cat-walk, not as loudly as the feet of those in power armor though.

'You knew this would be happening.' I accused El.

'Echo, It happened whenever you arrived… IG. So I couldn't exactly put huge amounts of stock on it. And even if I did say so, would you have slowed down?'

'I'm still blaming you.'

'Oh, well if you're going to be like that about it…' He sounded sarcastic.

'I am.'

As this went on I half ignored the argument going on between Elder Lyon's and Sentinel Lyons as I walked down, only bothering to listen when I was on the final landing.

"So we just sit here and wait until they decide we're next on the list. If the pride goes in now we might have a chance!" Sarah sounded rather frustrated.

"And if you fail then what? The risk is not worth the reward!" The elder retorted, his voice half pleading in trying to calm his daughter… It was now Rothchild pipped up, speaking calmly.

"I agree. Without the GECK the purifier is useless to the Enclave anyway, they may give up before long. And in fact, here's The Wanderer now, he probably has the GECK in his pack."

Everyone in the room turned on me just as Scribe Rothchild finished, obviously trying to calm the situation, Sarah speaking up.

"You found it?"

"I can say quite definitively I found it." I said, keeping my voice calm and flat.

"It's settled then, they don't have it, they can't use the purifier. The Enclave will move on soon enough." The Elder sounded half relieved, and a little stupid.

"You found it?" It turned out Sarah wasn't, her voice carried a rather sharp edge.

"Yes." I said evenly.

"But you don't have it?"

"Prize for the quick steel. Who is also right about needing to deal with them sooner rather than later, seeing how they've been setting up shop." I tried to keep the condescending out of my voice, but I failed.

"See, he agrees with me, even if he's being insulting. However I think you know my next question." Her voice was grim.

"They ambushed me on the way out with some sort of - . From what I know they need a code, however they'll probably have people who've been working on it, so it's just a matter of time until they fixed the purifier, and we don't want that, and not just because they'll control it."

"And why would that be?" Rothchild sounded bitter.

"Their leadership origionally planned on putting FEV into the water, which would kill all mutants, and people with mutations not that they say what sort… And would probably rendered survivors sterile based on what I read in vault 87, not that they thought of that."

"The FEV, what of it?" the Elder sounded almost panicked.

"Gone, along with Raven Rock and their leadership, at least for this region, I think. I do have a Vial that I'm not sure how to dispose of, I'm thinking putting seveal plasma mines and grenades around it then activating one, keeping it in a enclosed space, so using a turret or robot or just some servo motors."

"That, you managed that?" The head scribe looked shocked as I nodded. "I… That… That should work, if you hand it over I'll get scribes right on it."

"How did you manage to do that?" Sarah sounded rather sceptical.

"Their leader wanted to see me to try and convince me to help them, apparently there was resistance to the FEV plans, a member of the leadership who disliked the idea attempted a coup, and then I saw the leader who turned out to be an AI, linked up to the self-destruct systems… I accidently talked it into suiciding with them while I was in the base, I'm not sure how much of the Enclave survived but by the amount of vertibirds and men they got out, I doubt I did much more than disrupt their central leadership."

Everyone in the room was looking at me rather shocked at this point… One of the scribes standing near Rothchild recovered first, speaking with a calm and rather meek voice.

"I do believe that whatever time you bought us was probably used in getting here. Elder Lyons, I don't think you can say no to Sentinal Lyon's any longer."

"I… No I can't." He responded meekly.

"It's good that you see that. However all I know you do, and I was just ambushed by an Enclave Soldier with some sort of fireball mortar and robot support, and it's been a long day with a long multi-day walk, I need to sleep."

The Elder slowly nodded. "We shall probably wake you up early, but judging by what you've said you have earned a rest. Sarah, I want you to gather all the senior paladins, Head Scribe Rothchild I want you in there as well. E***, please pass the vial to Scribe Newman carefully, he will look to it's disposal."

I nodded. I quickly and carefully retrieved the FEV vial from my backpack, relived to see that it appeared to be intact inside the layers of cardboard and paper I packed it [I think it was a good use for old food packets], and I marched off to the bunks.

'You know, normally you would be heading straight off to a fight.' El chimed in.

'Whoever set that up is a moron, and I need my sleep so there's no way that would happy anyway.'

'Good point. Now you go and collapse, and hope I'm not needed.'

'Well, apparently a different me didn't need you.'

'Toche, but another you dies soon.'

'...Well, what grand story doesn't end with a noble sacrifice.' I thought depressed.

'This one, if I have any say about it.'

I know he was trying to lift my spirits slightly, but the only thing I cared about was the rapidly decreasing distance between me and a bed.

-XXXX-

It was an interesting fright being woken up in the middle of the night by a large cold metal hand… It woke me up fast.

"Lone wanderer."

"That's me. What do you want?"

"For you to follow me."

The man took a few steps back, his power armor clanking as he got up. After a moment of stretching I realized it was Paladin Gunny. He took a moment to look me up and down before he led me into the largely deserted courtyard, towards a table a pair of initiates were flanking.

"You don't know why you're here do you." He said simply.

"Specifically, no." I tried to sound non-nonchalant despite my annoyance.

"Elder Lyons wants you to accompany the Lyon's Pride on the assault on the purifier. You'll be receiving some rather heavy support. You think you're up to it?"

I stared into his eyes as he stared into mine. His gaze was trying to break me, trying to intimidate me.

"I bet I could do it now alone."

He laughed.

"Yea right. The Enclave is well organized and equipped."

"I fought my way out of a surprise attack on the purifier. I destroyed a camp on their terms and anhilated a Enclave first that surprised me… Is clearing out a raider camp a walk in the park for a Brotherhood Paladin?"

"Yes."

"For me it's so easy I might as well be driving along a highway." I boasted.

"Very well then. I've been giving the unenviable task of taking the last of tonight to turn you from a promising welp into someone who has mastered the use of power armor. I will fail, but I'll be damned if I get you killed. On the table behind is about three suits, the initiates are going to handle your suiting up. Normally you would wear one sized for you but time is wasting. Under-suits however are one size fits none, it's the brown suit you probably know as a recon suit on the table, go find a corner to put that on in and come back."

He was right, recon suits were always too tight because they were meant to stretch somewhat, and when I returned I returned to a scribe and a pair of initiates who quickly went about bolting me together. From the looks of things it appeared like people could normally dress themselves in power armor, but given how thoroughly I was warned not to move and the constant back and forth between pieces of armor eventually settling with a combination that left me just a little room to rattle around in my chest and left my left lower arm uncovered due to my Pip-Boy [much to the displeasure of the scribe] , eventually one of the initiates ran off, returning with Gunny who looked me over as the other initiate finished bolting me up.

"Damn, well I suppose this means I actually get to train you. Scribe, how's the hydraulics?"

"I've added a little extra anti-freeze to the mix given the time and temp, it looks to be a cool day. We just need to go through suit calibrations."

"Good. Ok, Wanderer, I want you to raise your right hand, slowly. The suit will probably slow you down, don't press against it, just go with it. Tell the scribe to turn the speed up as necessary."

"Why not turn it all the way up?"

"Because the suit will then enjoy it's chance to break every bone in your body." He said plainly.

"Oh…. Yea. Let's not do that. Ok, arm going up."

He smiled at my concern as we went through the slow process of the suit being set so I could move about freely in it. And I learned a few important things.

It turns out, that the T-45D power armor whilst quite capable of standing up to everything but consentrated laser fire, plasma fire, and concentrated armor piercing ammunition, assuming you don't target weak spots, is more than capable of killing you itself. It is well capable of increasing a persons strength and speed just a little, however there comes one major problem.

Think, what happens when you overbalance in a huge suit of thick steel plates?

"Shut up! It's not funny."

"Yes it is 101, it's how I make it through my day, now get up and swing again, or does the scribe need to turn down the hydrolics a little more?"

"That'd leave me a little slow!"

"A little alive maybe."

"No, a little dead."

"Well then, take another swing!"

I came at him again, I quickly learned not to use my normal techniques, instead stealing pages right out of El's book, moving with short quick movements. The problem was getting the stance right so I didn't throw myself on my face… Or my back, as that kick just shown.

'Well, it turns out you can't kick any better than I can.'

"My mother could kick better than that in power armor when she was 80! Now get on your feat. You're to stay on them for 5 minutes before I call someone who can swing back."

"Give me 5 minutes and I'll have you on your ass!" I growled at him as I got up, steadying myself before I fell flat on my face.

"That so?" Gunny laughed, then punched me square in the chest, sending me staggering back, it was his first swing.

"Come on, you gotta learn fast if you want to play in the big leagues. So, suit or you going to go in the back with the researchers?"

"I'm going in the front with the people who plant a boot in your face!" I moved forward, going in with feints and blocks, leading with my right the entire way as my left was only armoured to my elbow to make room for the Pip-Boy.

Which ment he ignored my left arm all together, and 3 minutes and two falls later, he regretted it, as I elbowed him in the face… It was helmeted, but judging by how his head slammed back and a moment after I toppeled him by slamming him with my shoulder, I think I did good.

One of the initiates rushed over, concerned by his lack of movement, but stopped as he got within a couple of feet, he could hear it to… Gunny was laughing.

"Ha… Aww. Kid, you did good. Ok… I think you'll not die. Maybe. Ha, you do have talent. Ok, we've got two hours, you're going to run around inside the baily, when I tell you to stop jump or whatever, you do it on the spot and you don't fall unless it requires you to, and you get up the moment you have."

"Yes Paladin." I smiled. I felt the same way I did on my 10th, all proud, chest puffed out.

"Well, I don't hear you moving."

I began running backwards before turning, putting just the little bit of effort that would get my normal response. The night was good…

The morning would be Hell, but I'd be a demon.

-XXXX-

The T45D power armor is a marvel of engineering, powered by fusion with enough fuel in this model to last for decades, and only because fuel had been siphoned out for making additional suits [it was hard, especially for the computing bits, but it could be done with what tech the brotherhood had]. My HUD was dialled down to range-finder, no targeting info, nothing, that would take too long and I didn't need it.

What I needed and got was to stretch out, rest, watch, and wait for Dawn, when our assault would be beginning… Surely enough, 3 minutes before sun up, I was standing in power armor marked to be of the Lyon's Pride, standing off to one side of the group who stood in front of Sentinal Lyons, Sarah's face hidden behind her helmet, each member of the pride rigid. I didn't know it, but Paladin Radchild was taking up the place of one of the recently slain Paladins, as was another who was not me. I would be an add-on bringing the group over-strength.

"Lyon's Pride! What do we do today?!"

"We stand for the wasteland!" They all shouted back.

"What do we stand against?!"

"The Tyranny and Deprivations of those who would turn against man!"

"Who are we?!"

"We are the Lyon's Pride, best of the Brotherhood!"

"What do we go to do today?!"

"We go to beat down power armoured tyranny!"

"Oorah!"

"Oorah!"

"Now then. Here beside you stands one of the wastelands best!"

Sarah flings her hand out towards me.

"Is he better than you?!"

"No one bests the Lyon's Pride!"

"He stood against the Enclave when captured! He guts raider camps!"

"He walks through the park! We'll show him where the fun's at!"

"Damn straight. Now we're getting heavy support. Do we need it?!"

"As much as we need boils on our asses!"

"Damn straight! You all know the plan! Get out front, wait for the bot. We move out as soon as it touches down, and we follow it only because we've been ordered to! So let's go, I want to have them tasting my boots steel before the sun's really up!"

"Oorah!"

The group turned around and began jogging for the gates in loose formation, each member carrying some sort of high tech weapon, ranging from scoped laser rifles to Gatling Lasers.

"I hear you're ready to be shown where the fun's at."

"Don't you mean, you're ready to have my kind of fun?"

I couldn't tell behind the helmet, but she smiled at that.

"That's good to hear. You'll be with me, I've already organised groups, you just gotta stay close, try to do what I tell you, and kill Enclave. Do you think you can do that?"

"Is my armor made of steel?"

"Hmph… You may just be good enough for the Lyon's pride after all. Survive through this, and that paint job will be official… Now come on, I promised the pride a nice cold drink of clean water."

She turned, walking straight out of the citadel as I saw the winches motors begin to start up, lifting the huge robot up I saw in the labs…

Today was going to be a good day.

* * *

Short but awesome chapter. Next one should go up next weekend, I hope you enjoyed.

And yes, if it was a movie/show/other, that middle bit would have been a training montage. Why do you ask?


	17. Chapter 17: Giant Robots and Clean Water

I smiled as I jogged out of the Citadel with Sarah, my Plasma rifle running hot in hand. I flinched as I heard a sickening crack, followed by the clang and thud of pieces of the wall crashing to the ground, dislodged by Liberty Prime.

"Damn, it breaks things just hanging there." One of the paladins muttered.

Then it landed with a thud, leaving some nice large indentations in the ground.

"You don't say Radfield." One of the paladins drawled, not knowing them I couldn't tell them apart in their armor.

"Liberty Prime is Online. All systems nominal. Weapons hot. Mission: The destruction of any and all Chinese communists." The bot bellowed, beginning it's steps forward.

"Ok, enough gawking! You know your places! Wanderer, on me, do try not to get stepped on." Sarah shouted, in an instant all members of the Pride fell in, heavy weapons and snipers to the side, everyone else carrying plasma weapons hanging just back from the robots large crater making feet.

Suddenly I heard Sarah's voice in my ear.

"Wanderer, I activated your coms. We're to provide fire support for the bot, focus on heavy weapons and left overs as it makes it's way to the purifier, taking down the barriers on the way… There is artillery, we can't do anything about it. A minutes after we leave some scribes and others will leave to join us at the purifier. Once we're in Me, you and the two newest will be going on in, the rest will set up to hold the purifier. You can't respond so don't try, just keep up."

-XXXX-

[POV: Enclave Tesla Soldier]

"PRB has enough juice to last a few days. I doubt the Brotherhood will try anything."

"Very good, return to your post. Cutting line." The officer ended the line, he was as stressed as I was bored.

'Yea, because the brotherhood is going to storm down out throats, passed several PRB's, through plasma, laser and napalm. I just don't get why we're holding the bridge from here, they can go-'

My line of thought was cut off by steady booming.

"What the fuck was that?"

"You want to take a swim to take a look. Stay at your post, whatever it is it isn't our problem."

I tromped over to my baracade, wishing I had something sturdy to sit on… I may have been bored, but the other soldiers here were tense.

"Holy mother of fuck what is that?!" A soldier shouted, several robots floated over to the edge, sighing theatrically through the coms I began walking, and then one of the robots turned and began floating back, a gutsy.

"Combat Mechanoid, Liberty Prime class. Capabilities unknown, designated friendly."

"Liberty prime, yea… ri- oh fuck!" My sarcasm quickly gave way to panic as I came to a stop.

"Link me coordinates. Bot's, designate Liberty Prime class Combat Mechanoid as a hostile, Priority override 'Dragon Mages Corruption." I began running over to the coms, numbers appearing on the top of my HUD. I heard a bunch of acknowledgements from the robots before those armed with lasers opened fire on the target.

Then there was a boom, I was picked up and slammed face first into the ground, skidding along the bridge, unconsciousness took me.

And then released me.

"…Initiate photonic resonance overcharge."

I opened my eyes wide at the robot. The place had been slammed by something, and I was the only one left. I scrambled for the coms.

"This is Seargent Alex Simon authorisation code Sierra One Five Four Four Four, requesting danger close bombardment on my-"

-XXXX-

[POV: The Lone Wanderer]

Moments before.

"Did that thing just lob a nuke at the bridge?" I said, half awed.

"Ayep." Sarah responded, stunned.

"We have to walk through that." One of the paladins said.

"Ayep. Someone let the others know the Liberty Prime just mini-nuked the bridge, that it's standing, and ask the thing not to do it again… We're going to have to sprint through."

-XXXX-

[POV: Liberty Prime]

On the Bridge.

-Power Armored Man at Comms.

…

…

-Power Armor listed as Communist variant. Opening fire with Tesla Beam.

-Communist and communication gear destroyed.

-XXXX-

[POV: Enclave Artillery Officer]

"Sir?" The communications officer piped up, sounding confused.

"What is it?" I said tiredly.

"I've just gotten a garbled message, I think it was a request for danger close bombardment."

"Are you sure?"

"Sir! Second Watchman Picket is calling in, they've just watched some giant robot destroy the First Watchman Picket!" Now he sounded panicked, looking to his screen holding his earpiece in tight.

"My god… Do we have coordinates."

"Not yet sir. The soldiers seem to be in shock!"

"Well remind them that they're soldiers and get me some coordinates, get men on the Howitzers! Now!" I bellowed.

-XXXX-

[POV: The Lone Wanderer]

"Scribe Norn here, Liberty won't be throwing any more nukes."

"Thankyou Norn. Come on Lyon's pri-"

"Anyone else hear that?" A confused paliden interrupted.

Suddenly a section of the bridge exploded, and more wistles started approaching.

"Artillery, Norn, get Heady to speed up the bot! Move it Pride, I want us in the buildings ASAP!"

We ran, slowly the bot picked up the pace, almost power walking as we charged forward. Our position was being shelled and I felt bits of concrete smash against my armor. After a few moments vertibirds began flying towards us only to be shot down by liberty prime, I was shaking and rattling in all directions by the time I got off the bridge into the city where the shells began hitting rooftops instead of ground, instead leaving us with the fear of large chunks of concrete falling on us.

Librety prime continues to fire with his crackling blue laser eyes of death as we moved up. To a man every Enclave soldier fied on Liberty Prime with all sorts of weapons, ranging from Rocket launchers to gatling lasers. Each of us focused on moving up and keeping our heads clear, melting through distracted robots and Enclave soldiers… And more than a few turned and ran rather than be scythed down.

This wasn't a fight.

This was a massacre.

We cut through defensive positions like a laser through already warmed butter, we had trouble keeping up with the robot as it stepped out to squash men under foot. They stood in alcoves of concrete and leaned out of windows… They were blasted through walls by blue pulses and vaporised by plasma grenades. Vertibirds slowed down in hesitation, only to be blasted from the sky that much easier as they cried out maydays…

Other than the constant explosions and weaponfire, that was basically the only other sound. Depite the armor, with such advanced weapons glancing blows were lethal, and a couple of solid hits sent a man from healthy to dead unknowing, and with Liberty Prime, entire groups just… Exploded.

-XXXX-

[POV: Enclave Radio Officer]

"Who the fuck made that thin!"

"Kill it kill it Kchkkch-!"

"Did you see what that thing did to the second line! No way man no way!"

"Flank, it's not juchhhhchk-!"

"Get to cover!"

"It keeps blowing up!"

"You see that! It just shrugged off a direct howitzer!"

"Missile Barrage!"

"Grenade!"

Panicked shouts and screams kept coming through. An explosion occurred every second on average.

"Someone, topple a building." I ordered.

"With wharrgh! Fuck my Lecchhhhhk-!"

My mouth hung open, a tactical display showed just how quickly Brotherhood forces were advancing, they were already 2/3rds through.

A hand grabbed my headset, taking it carefully… I looked up and saw Captain Craggen don it.

"This is Captain Craggen, all forces are to begin immediate retreat, you know where to. Forces at the purifier are to initiate radiation overload. All Enclave forces in the area are to move out." I never heard him more defeated.

Slowly various Sergeants reported affirmatives, the captain leaned forward and turned off the screen.

"Ok, pack up everyone. Someone tell the artilary to maintain shelling to cover our forces and to pull out. We're not going to be able to do anything more here.

I heard my shaking voice echo from at least three others as I said "Yes sir."… We were defeated, by those we deemed scavengers who managed to grab slightly more than others…Our home was destroyed by a backwards freak, the president was dead and Colonel Autumn died in his coup attempt. There was nothing left for us here.

A few minutes later the captain smiles, still wearing my headset. I didn't know it, but Contingency: Overload was successful, the purifier was doing the exact opposite of it's job.

-XXXX-

[POV: The Lone Wanderer.]

"Form a wall, ok you lot, it's time for you to be lazy. Set up a perimeter and be happy they decided to run because I don't think that last barrier did Liberty any favoures. Rotunda Radiers, follow me."

Sarah smiled in her helmet as she positioned herself in front of the door, and then kicked it in, storming through. The three of us selected for the task moved quickly as we followed Sarah, our weapons sweeping the area. We found a grand total of two men, both in the Rotunda, one set up on a Gattling Laser + Tripod, another hiding behind a pillar with a laser rifle…

"Ok, three count then a plasma grenade. You ready Radfield?"

"Yep." The girl spoke with a little to much glee as she readied a grenade.

"Ok. Three, two, one, Roll!"

With short tosses the two threw in grenades that reduced the men inside to expanding clouds of ions and flash fried body parts in power armor.

Sarah looked in, a smile on her face none of us could see.

"We're done team. Good job. Radfield, Starchild, join the line and escort the egg-heads right in, they'll probably want to check everything."

"Yes Sir!" The two initiates snapped lazy salutes then walked out. We had a couple of casualties, but our mortality count was 0, compared to the Enclave 90% mortality or so Dusk suggested… And it was only 90% cause the other 10% ran tails wagging between their legs, cause there was no way we left behind wounded.

"So, Wanderer. It seems you did good." Sarah spoke, trying to pass the time.

"Please, I followed the Giant Death Bot." I scoffed.

"I saw your shooting, and not many people get too 1 stumble after a couple of hours practice."

"Oh please, that's all Gunny."

"Is that so?.. What are you doing."

"Giegers ticking…" I held it up to the plastic, confused.

"Shit… That's even more than when Dad activated the failsafe, and that lasted only a couple of seconds…"

"Hmph. I'll tell the egg heads to jog and someone to send over a bot, probably have to be the robo-doc." She shrugged, unconcerned.

"Sure… Whatever." I stepped back, impending sense of doom growing…

'This is it isn't it.'

'I… Yes.'

-XXXX-

Li looked up from the computer.

"Samuels, check the water, just wave a gieger." She sounded terrified.

"What is it doc?" Sarah sounded concerned.

"The Geck, it's set to radiate, there's-"

"Li it's Samuels, waters normal? What up."

"Damn! Get everyone out of here! Go!"

"Dr. Li? What's going on?"

"The Purifier is about to blow it's tanks, it needs to be activated and I've only just stopped the Rad-Flood."

"Oh…" Sarah said simply.

"I… I've got to go in while it's flooded."

"Yes. There's no time, you've got.. Shit, a minute. You sure you got the code?" Li was panicking.

"There's only one thing it could be and if it's random we're fucked."

"I… Isn't this were we draw straws?" Sarah sounded concerned.

I shook my head.

"This is where I finish my dad's work and you drag me out when I collapse. Li, start running." My voice was hard despite my minds panic.

I put on my helmet and Sarah put on hers.

"E***-."

"Save it, wait out here and be ready to drag me out!"

'El! Is there anything you can do?'

'Maybe, can't you feel the humming.'

'I can.'

'Well I'm guessing here to save us both. Go!'

I felt Sarah grab my hand before I pushed the button.

"E***… It's been a honour." Sarah let go, her part said as I pressed the button, radiation already flooding out.

"Likewise." I stepped in the air lock as it cycled, gieger counter clicking like mad… I was probably already a dead man walking, glowing bright green…

'It doesn't work like that.'

'Yea yea, wrong world… Now leave me to my mantra… 21, 6. 21, 6, 21…'

-XXXX-

I left him to his mantra, as I moved to my hum.

It was life and it's struggles.

It was the sound of machinery doing it's job.

It was the job to be done.

It was the job done well.

It was life overcoming…

And if I didn't stop iting I'd be dead. I set to work, I flooded the body with barely directed mana and a basic knowledge of the world and biology. Too late I noticed that my replication of rad-away and my assisting of the bodies anti-cancer abilities was outweighed by me accidentally causing tumors, and me noticing my left thumb begin rotting…

I was accidentally becoming a ghoul as I defeated my own cancer.

I scrambled for anything, and then remembered the FEV. It 'Fixed' cells… I replicated it at some point. What did I need. Rage, anger, cheating of-

I had it.

I called to the wasteland… And I called to the wartorn streets of DC…

And I collapsed.

-XXXX-

'21, 6, 21, 6, 21, 6…'

It was my mantra as I slumped against the door of the airlock as it cycled. I pressed the button. The water began flowing, the gieger counted noted a slight decrease in the surrounding radiation… But I was already a gonner… The door opened, I fell into oblivion… I didn't know it, but one finger was a ghouls, one was a super mutant, one had cancer, one was normal… And my thumb was tapping on the ground.

.. ., ., .. ., . …

-XXXX-

[POV: Sarah Lyons]

Without thinking I dragged him out of the room and began pulling him out of his power armor, my suit registered it as rather hot and sealed the suit to run just off it's internal air supply. My rad-count was probably rising, but not like his. I began throwing pieces into the water.

"No… Heroes don't die like this… Come on E*** don't you dare become a martyr on me!" I began dragging him out, after a moment Doc came in, followed by a couple of scribes.

"Rad poisoning!"

"Drop him! We'll start here!"

"What's wrong with his hand?"

"Leave it, we can consider it later!"

* * *

Guess who had more time free then they thought.

Given that this section can be summed up in three lines [Follow the death bot. Clear the building with great ease. Sacrifice self/Sarah/be glad you have a radiation immune friend] And Autumn is already dead, so no 'last chat', however IG I would replace his head with ions as soon as I saw him, not give him a chance to talk.

I did consider doing the 'two weeks' scene, but I decided against it, and it's going to take less time. And the Enclave is actually pulling out, so the rest of their quest line isn't happening [just stating that now before I go walk about in the waste land].

Anyhow, till next time.


	18. Chapter 18: Tireder than Jesus

AN: Yes, putting this one here this time.

Remember when I said I wasn't doing this, I ment for that chapter. I decided that this bit was needed for flow but canons about to be leaving the train. Sorry for the delay but for some reason this chapter didn't really go. Next one should go better but life's going to delay it. However, next chapter will be bringing scenes of awesomeness to make it up to those of you who've chosen to suffer through the last 17 chapters... Especially chapter 3, because that one was a horrible mess until I fixed it and I can't believe no one let me know. I may rewrite some of the earlier chapters before I finish this one, but it won't be changing anything large and will repost those bits with a note when they're all complete.

Anyhow, Enjoy. Oh, and if anyone wants to steal how the brotherhood cured the lone wanderers/the 5 coloured walker's radiation poisoning [minus the magic of course], feel free but say you did so. I haven't heard it before but it sounds like something that might work given the universe.

* * *

[POV Sentinel Sarah Lyons, 10 minutes after the activation of the purifier.]

"Open up, clear out the courtyard, call ahead I want this man being helped and on a bed as soon as possible!"

Bael seemed shock for a moment, looking at the wanderer.

"Now!"

Elder Lyons voice came over the intercom. "We know what happened, the door's opening now and rooms have already been cleared. You know the old interrogation rooms?"

"Yea-"

"Good, there's a bath there, put him in it and then go for decontamination because I'm sure your suit's hot even if you're not. The Scribes will take over from there."

-XXXX-

[POV: Scribe Nolan, 9:06 PM, Wanderers Day [To Be Declared]]

It was odd, seeing such a 'powerful' man stuck naked in a bath containing a mixture of Rad-x and water, IVs stuck in him to in him to provide Rad-Away while yet others ensured he was breathing, had food and water, and attached to monitoring devices a fair bit better than his Pip-Boy. I'd considered removing his hand but decided against it as I looked over FEV information, the FEV would take care of Ghoulification though advanced cancers appearing so quickly was unusual. I just took the time to be really glad that FEV could only be contracted from a FEV sample or through rather thorough contamination of water supplies… Or direct blood transfusion if you were stupid…

I theorized sex was also possible but It didn't look likely.

In any case, I was staring worriedly at Rad read outs. They were building faster than expected, and I didn't have a clue why.

-XXXX-

[POV: Scribe Mariam, 1 Day Post purifier activation]

"Ok, so he has a FEV infection. Is it contagious?"

What was going on..?

"No but-."

"That settles it. We monitor him, and give him what he needs to live." That sounded like the Elder.

"Ok, but what about the gho-." That was someone else, someone flustered..

"From what is known about the FEV and the FEV should solve that as well as the radiation poisoning, however we just don't know exactly how it'll end."

"Exactly, and we don't know where he was exposed."

"We have two good guesses."

"Well how about how hot he is?"

"Rad suits, Rad-X, Rad-Away and standard Decom. I've said this all before." The Elder sounded tired.

"But he's glowing like a... a... Glowing One."

…

"I don't think you understand, Scribe, but this man has consistently gone above and beyond to save everyone he's met that have a shred of decency in them. So do you wish to stay and argue?" That… That was Sarah.

"No Sentinel… Elder."

Heavy feet walked away, followed by the stomping of power armor.

I was alone again… Just the beep of machinery and… And…  
Sleep.

-XXXX-

[POV: Guidence. 'The/That Cat', 3 Day's Post Activation]

I slowly extracted myself from his body, floating over him ethereally.

"I knew I should have practiced that while he was sleeping before… Stupid idiot, he should have changed things more than this…""

I looked around, making sure for one last time that the next visit by anyone wouldn't be for a couple of hours. I then took the time to look at the notes left here by various scribes, personally annoyed it'd taken so long to become operational and then figure out how to do this.

"Various cancers, that's normal for uncontrolled green use. Surprised he even managed that with what he had available… However the rapid mutation is interesting, probably just due to this world's nature… Hmm, a ghoul with cancer, that makes for a said state, his arms been taken over rather slowly but it's now receding along with other random patches… FEV not visibly seen except for in left foot. Necrotic tissue has healed, food seems to be disappearing faster than he should…. Hmm, that explains the constant minor channel given this world, must be drawing from it… Probably why he's actually unconscious. I wonder why he dabbled with FEV, probably panicked the stupid moron. A walk would have been safer, followed by asking me. Why'd he have to spend so long at that bloody terminal." I shook my head.

"Ok, sorry kid, but I'm going to need to possess you for a bit, you're going back to the rear." It was a regretful thing and really I didn't want to do it, but orders were orders after all, especially for a construct.

Slowly I reached into him, taking over, using my own senses to monitor the new body.

'Damn, he's too indiscriminate and can't help the FEV properly. At this rate he'll actually be a ghoul with cancer.'

I 'watched' the FEV at work, modifying cells, repairing them, 'fixing' the immune system so it was ignored. The gene code seemed to be E***'s base code so no problems there, it was just working to slowly because it had to preserve cells… Some of the FEV seemed to be the Super Mutant type, and the two were both writing over each-others fixes slowing each other down…

'Ahh, you're infertile now… I should fix that… Or would that be unfixing… Nope, Fixing. Ok, Dialing down Mana use. Ahh, that's why the rooms too hot.'

I watched as a FEV protein removed some radioactive particles to be removed as waste, replacing them with 'cleaner' particles… It was a very slow process given the wasteland, and that E*** was just breathing them back in.

'Well. That answers that. Now first you want to stop supporting the cancer, then you want too…'

My mind trailed off as I set to fix the spells E*** used, the only reason I didn't consider him a complete buffoon was that he was more like a sorcerer displaying random magic trying to save himself in a hurry rather than using his magic like a true wizard, which is how he should do.

'Well, I'll actually be able to give him some pointers now that the split is gone.'

I felt him stir from his spot in the back of his mind, almost like someone rolling over and talking in their sleep….

'Oh shush while I save our asses.'

-XXXX-

[POV: Scribe Nolan, 6 Days Post-Purifier Activation]

"Mariam, we haven't seen a sign of ghoulification in two days, even the signs of FEV have settled down, barring the radiation according to your idea."

"Ok, it's entirely valid hypothesis, and it'd explain his relatively low levels of radiation compared to projection-" She continued insistent.

"But it's just that, a hypothesis, not a theory. And we can't allow sampling and testing of FEV just yet, we don't know enough about it. And besides, he's not healthy enough for me to allow you to take more blood samples." The woman made me want to throw up my hands and scream.

"Please, we have blood for transfusion, your acting like I'm asking for flesh samples. Besides, he should have been killed the moment he showed FEV contamination-"

"He's fighting it off, and we know nothing about the process other than end results."

"Still, it's-"

"Our Job is to protect the wasteland and recover tech, killing him is not protecting the wasteland. I swear sometimes you act like you belong with the outcasts."

I immediately realized my mistake even as the words left my mouth… And I saw her realizing my realization shortly after even as anger contorted her face.

"That goes too far Nolan!"

"I kn-"

"Do you! You know what they did when they left. Some of them have almost fired on our paladins!"

"I didn't-"

"You didn't what Nolan! And to think you got into the scribes!"

"Mariam, the Scribes is about knowledge, and it doesn't matter he's my patien-… Wait."

I turned… One of the monitors changed. Vitals were spiking. Dreams, no not dreams. His fingers began twitching and his head rolled in it's pillow, then his vitals started dropping slightly.

"He's waking up. Mariam I'm going to need your help, grab the suits… I need-"

"Keep it in your head."

The two of us rushed about to get ready. He shouldn't be waking up yet, he probably couldn't handle it in his situation. Physically or mentally.

-XXXX-

[POV: Elder Lyons, 8 Days Post-Purifier Activation]

"So you're keeping him under?"

"Yes. We've now got some Rad-Away and a tiny bit of Stim going straight into his systems."

"How long do you think before you can unhook him?"

"Safely? I'd like 2 days at least, I think. His healing rate has been surprisingly fast, it's mostly the radiation cleaning I'm worried about, and cleaning the room. Then give him about a day to wake up after that, he might be able to start moving about 3 days afterwards depending how quickly he pushes himself."

"I see… Well two weeks to bring someone from the brink of death to full health his astounding. As you will Nolan."

"It's most-"

"I don't need to know technical. Though I think maybe another sample would be good for calming Mariam." I stated carefully.

He sighed, obviously not liking my request "Yes Elder."

I leaned back in my chair, staring at the peeling walls… Nolan turned out to be a godsend, everyone who returned from the assault, including everyone from Lyon's pride had gotten over their poisoning in a few days, even if it'd eaten through a large amount of our Rad-Away stocks… I'd have to check how the armorers were going for E***'s possible armours…

'I should probably issue them more room to spread out, look at fixing up some of the other areas…'

-XXXX-

[POV: 5 Coloured Walker. 11 Days Post purification]

I groaned, rolling over in my bed.

"Look who finally wakes up."

I groaned into my pillow, shifting my head away from the voice, slowly stretching out.

"What, aren't I good enough for Heaven?" Whoever she was… Wait, it was Lyons… Sarah… Well, she seemed to sound offended.

"When'd you die?"

"A couple of hours ago I think… I didn't go as quickly as you…" She said matter of factly, not bothering to try and hide the smile I couldn't see.

"I'm sorry." Slowly I rolled over stretching, wincing in pain as I slowly turned over. I took a moment before I realised she was smiling, a confused look crossed my face.

"Don't be. Welcome back to the world of the living fool. Local time is 0101 Sunday. It's good to have you back."

She put her hand on my shoulder and I winced.

"Your tender?" She sounded confused.

"Yes."

"I'll grab Nolan… It's good to have you back E***."

"… It's good to be back."

She smiled as she turned and left. Slowly I rolled my head to look up.

'Why did I say that?' I asked myself.

'Because it's polite.' A voice responded. The guides, it had that condescending tone.

'Guide? You're still here?'

'I wasn't exactly given an opt out, and you definitely need some guided practice given that I needed to save your scrawny ass… Well not so scrawny at the moment, but I figure if you end up dream walking it'll be scrawny again.'

'Well hello to you to.'

'What, you expected things to change? Things never change.'

'I don't need you going all zen on me. Besides things change-'

'And yet the more things change, the more they stay the same.'

'… Do you have a book of these things?'

'1, I'm in your head. 2, yes, I was made with the knowledge of multiverses, particularly the bit of the Omniverse relevant to you.'

I tried to think of something spiteful, but I was just too tired for it… And so I slept.


	19. Chapter 19: A Iron Hero

By Nolan's predictions, it would have been 14 days before I was up and about post-exposure. Nolan was smart enough to include my seeming regeneration, given my desire not to give myself cancer or some such, Nolan was dead on right. To the hour in fact.

Because it was in that hour Nolan allowed Sarah and Gunny to run a test of my abilities through sparing and shooting. Without power armor of course. I kept it too myself that I was still a little tender [and not from the rather brutal fighting. Ethos was a fighter, I was still quick and had some training, but I hesitated, and although staying just back from brutal I left more openings than he would have and I didn't take of openings anywhere near as well… I did however take full use of the ones I forced, it seems Ethos wasn't one for that.].

"I do want to take more blood samples though, monitor your condition." Nolan looked at me concerned as he injected a small amount of stim into me.

"Is that your request or Mariam's?"

"I- It's my req…"

His voice left him as I laughed, shaking my head.

"Don't worry, I'm more than fine with Mariam monitoring me. However given that I seem to have Mutant FEV in my blood, I do request she takes extra caution with the samples. And not try to use them." I smiled at him. Personally I doubted it'd be used at all.

"It's more the one tailored to you that we-… She's interested in."

"I thought we'd already been over this. It looks like FEV simply by convergent evolution, RNA in a protein coat coding for protein's to fix various changes due to radiation, not a cell purely for ease of production. You've said it yourself it seems that numbers have cut down to just a little more than enough for maintenance and to keep up with the damage done by the SM strand FEV."

It was a bald face lie. It was however the only reasonable explanation I could think of, so that was what people where running with, given that they couldn't believe I could have gotten tailor made FEV just for me. I did argue that it was like ghoulification, just that some people inherited genes that made this possible, and seeing as I also originally showed signs of ghoulification and my dad died and my mother was dead, genetic comparisons weren't exactly possible.

And no one was about to blood test the wasteland to see if perhaps others had it, it was in it's entirety, most reasonable and thus accepted bullshit…

However seeing as I managed to make tailor made FEV I was most certainly not complaining. Especially given the benefits of Radiation immunity [now that it was established], faster regeneration [don't ask me how, I don't know], and a limitless life span [I was in my prime so no de-aging].

Other planes walkers would be jealous as fuck to get what I had gotten by accident. The guide stated so herself, noting that only a few had found places outside their standard 'verse to access places like Goloria, where magic's to give one eternal life were easy to gain, with the only two that could actively become ageless [greens with lots of practice, whites with lots of effort] wouldn't due to their moral codes in general, leaving others with possibilities like becoming undead or some construct… And I'm on a tangent…

Anyhow, shortly after being cleared [and having yet more blood taken], I was being taken by Radfield to see my 'gift' from the brotherhood, whatever that was.

So, here I was, blindfolded and following a women trying to keep her seriousness and prevent herself from bubbling over and ruining the surprise. Eventually the murmuring of voices indicated we passed into, and then through, the lab. Metal groaned as the door to the armory [I think] opened.

"She cert- a blind fold. Really?" That was Sarah, it sounded like she had a smile.

"Yea, definitely. Ok E***, take it off."

And so I did, looking around and trying to figure out what would be so important…

And then my eyes settled on what appeared to be a extremely well repaired suit of Hellfire Power armor, something the Enclave only just started to field, painted grey so as to be the colours of the Brotherhood, marked on either side of the chest plate with the symbols of the Brotherhood and the Pride.

"That's… For me..?" I said shocked, I looked at the two girls, Sarah smiling simply while Radfield was all but bouncing up and down.

"Well, you survived after all, and there's no way in hell you're getting back in the suit you had before, that'll be glowing almost as long as the White House ruins."

"But, this is one of the more advanced pecies, wouldn't you be saving it for-"

"You near-on sacrificed yourself to turn on the purifier surviving mostly through dumb luck. You not merely survived your first Lyon's Pride mission, you actively did well in a suit not properly sized and not calibrated as finely as it could. You earned this hunk of metal… The quartermaster wouldn't agree given all the Rad stuff used in bringing you back from the brink but I think you're worth it. Most of the work on it's done, just needs a few final size adjustments and calibrations."

"I… So you want… Do I put it on here?"

"Yep. It doesn't even need an undersuit. These bad boys are hard to, stand up to bullets and shrapnel better, flame's not even a thing should you run on internal air, powered up for the next 100 years or so which I hear-tell you may even live to see. Enough computer space for a AI. Everything importants protected-" I cut Radfield off before she could explode.

"I'm getting the picture, it's awesome as fuck… Well then… I take it I'll still need you for bolting it on me until I learn how to do it myself."

"I… Yea. We've got full systems info on it in the HUD so you can read it while I work. Pip-Boys are notoriously tough so the hole for that shouldn't serve as a problem."

"Well then. Let's get to work."

-XXXX-

Bolting in, calibrating suit servos [which were much finer and overall just plain better than the [T-45b] calibrating computer systems and syncing systems with my Pip-Boy took the better part of an hour, and would [partially] need to be repeated tomorrow once the armor was resized to be perfect. In this time I got to know the suit…

I took to being very glad the lone guy in a suit of Hellfire Power Armor didn't see fit to close his air-grate and live off internal oxygen. I he had I would have needed to shoot him in the mouth at least two times with my plasma pistol, and would have merely been knocked over when I blew up his incinerator. This wasn't quite the T-51b Power armor that took out entire Chinese towns alone in the hands of skilled operatives [Chinese plasma and laser tech wasn't as prolific], but it was rather damn close…

Oh, and I enjoyed the HUD. I could do much better IRL than IG even with high sensitivity gear and HUDs, just because of the limitations as far as gaming go. But giving me a fully functional HUD, the training to manage it, and put me in real life [not to mention in a suit of power armor that made me damn near superhuman]… It was just plain unfair on any poor schmuck that I decided needed ending…

Like those of Paradise Falls.

-XXXX-

The Elder finally found me squirreled away in one of the side rooms, looking at various stencilings I had on my armor with paint out.

"More than one has marked their armor. I myself had a fair bit of paint down my suits back before I decided the effort was too much, perhaps I could give you some ideas?" He began diplomatically… I knew why he was here though, and he knew I knew it. He was old, not stupid.

"I've already know what I'm marking on the bracers and I've decided against any real painting, it's just I'm having trouble coming up with a good motto." I decided to go along with him.

"Changing it to Latin the trouble?"

"As pretentious as it sounds Latin somehow always sounds cooler… I'm half tempted to just go with English though… However that's not the problem, I managed to get the computer doing that. However there's only one that I really like."

"And what would that be?" He truly sounded interested.

"'Ad Gloriam'. 'Return to Glory'"

He stared into my eyes, his brows furrowed slightly in thought before he smiled.

"From what I know of you, they sound like good words, as long as you note the glory others have created here."

"I'm not a moron Elder, where good is it can stay, but there's plenty to do out in the wasteland."

"Would that be why you wish to leave?" He asked, staring into my eyes.

"I… Yes. I know of what you do, you are rather defensive and your numbers a few, perhaps if you recruited and there was enough around you could help the wasteland far beyond the water caravans I hear you protect."

"We do." He nodded. He seemed to be in thought.

"I also made a promise to help some people. I may be too late as it is, but I'll be able to stop others from being hurt."

"Well then. I know the look in your eyes, you're going to leave us. I hope you stay in contact." Lyons turned, stopping at the doorway looking back at me.

"I'll let Durga know that she's to give you what you need. You will always have a place here, I hope you do manage to do more good out there than with us, as you believe."

With those simple words he left, and I turned to my suit, brush in hand.

"I normally have better tools and paint models, but I suppose this'll be enough…"

-XXXX-

To say I looked vastly different when I walked out of the citadel compared to when I walked in would be a understatement. The only thing the same was my bag.

I carried fewer weapons, just my Plasma pistol [modified to be it's best] and my laser rifle [similarly modified], mines for sleeping, and a couple of grenades just in case. I had food and water for several days, and a single definite goal in mind that had little possibility of being altered, and a single goal in mind for what to do afterwards

I would eradicate Paradise Falls and return the children to Little Lamplight, and then I would travel the wastes, doing good and trying to learn my powers under The Guides tutelage [he currently chose to reside in both my power armor and Pip-Boy, rather than in me... Of course him being more of a sink or swim mentor would not be helping matters...

And, well… I never said they were easy goals.

-XXXX-

In the wastes, the heat is your enemy. It is the ever-present foe, constantly dragging you down, making you need for water and rest, slowing you until someone who isn't quite so exhausted brings you down.

Unless you're wearing the self-cooled and heat resistant Hellfire armor. You wouldn't expect someone in power armor to be cool, but the suit was downright comfy, especially on contained air and when I refilled it only in the shade.

Of course, you also wouldn't expect raiders camping out in a ruined school to charge a man in power armor with knives and tiny little pistols… Good for the target practise I suppose.

Mutants less so, but power armor trumps bare skin when they pack assault rifles and clubs, no matter if it's the high tech Super Sledge to the ancient piece of metal on a wooden stick.

-XXXX-

Paradise falls, a mixture of shoddy wooden walls I could crawl under in power armor, let alone walk through, and surprisingly intact buildings with doors half buried and reinforced, and from the looks of things when circling, one entrance… Of course, why just one with such crappy barricades covering alleys I'm not quite sure. The illusion of safety I guess.

I could shatter that [and a wall, which would be cool], or go all one man army starting from the entrance, which would also be coo, and I had the armor to actually do it in. I doubted the men were beater armed or armoured than regular raiders, who were worse than most settlement militia except for those that had heavy weapons… Which were normally claimed by Super Mutants.

"… Well, let's take this armor and see if it lives to standards. Besides, they might not think to run out the walls."

"If you get yourself killed I'm not accepting the blame." The guides voice came from the suits headset, slightly distorted.

"I wont… Besides, you showed me how to call upon distant mana." I smiled in my suit, set it to distort my voice for maximum terror, and moved to a section of wall. With my mind I reached out, remembering how places made me feel.

I tasted old world foods.

I felt the calm air of Rivet City.

I felt the hearty banter of the citadel.

I felt the steady thrum of the purifier's machinery.

I felt the wrath of the ruins that were downtown DC.

And I felt the darkness that was the wastelands baked sands.

And it all fell under a single will.

-XXXX-

[POV: Grouse]

I looked up from a small pile of caps I was counting out on my table. I thought I heard something, a slight jangle and clinking, but there was no merchant at the gate…

"Hmm. Can you hear that Bob?"

"The sound of me drinking water?" He scoffed.

"Do yo-" I stopped dead half turned as what looked to be a giant of a man in… power armor.

'That's power armor. Real power armor… And plasma weaponry.'

Bobbies immediately went to grab his assault rifle, but whoever was in the suit chuckled.

It was a dark sound, deap, each laugh distinct, the sought Dylan practiced for lauding himself over new slaves, said it was from some villain in a pre-war vid… Except this was the real deal, and I was already half gone.

"Uh, who are you?" I said, trying to not make my pants any browner.

"You might know me as 'The Lone Wanderer'."

"Your… and your in… What do you want from here."

"Some Slaves… I was considering buying… I hear they go for the low low price of dead slavers."

This time Bobby went to go through with drawing, suddenly he held up his pistol, the was a sound resembling what some kids made when they mimicked bullets whizzing, a bolt of green went past my head. And then the gun was pointed at my face.

My pants became browner.

-XXXX-

[POV: Forty]

I was smiling, watching some slave run off, collar on, finger on the detonator. His head popped like a melon, his chest cratered and the guy dropped like a stone.

"Stupid fuck."

I allowed myself a chuckle as I turned around, and then I suddenly couldn't feel anything. I swivled but my legs didn't move as I kept going forwards.

I couldn't breath!

I fell on my back, struggling to look down, there was a hole clean through my armor passing straight down the centre… And a strange robot in holding a pistol.

My vision went spotty as he took to jogging towards me, I tried to cry out but I couldn't.

There was no air.

My vision went black.

-XXXX-

[POV: 5 Coloured Walker]

Do you know what a laser does to people wearing clothes?

Raiders at least have the decency to put bits of metal in their armor, but these slavers, almost to the man wore plain clothes and wielded some sort of assault rifle. Each was, according to spec, no threat in any way other than a lucky shot. I would be able to have fun… I wasn't that sort of person, but I could have.

Hell, there were a total of three people that could be considered threats, a guy with a minigun, and two people with helmetless thick metal armor, and 'Super Sledges', being long bits of metal that hit harder than they had any right to if you allowed them to hit.

With a wave of my hand the guard in the watch post looked down in horror as his minigun jammed, key components rusting in place. I ducked and placed single shots into the chests backs and heads of the slavers running to cover. Clothes caught fire and chunks of flesh and bone blew out, each shot carefully placed. When the duo came out with their sledges I grabbed my plasma pistol, holding onto my laser rifle with my off hand, and squeezed off a few bursts. Slaves screamed in horror and cheered with hope as I moved through, death incarnate…

All the slavers managed to do was scuff the paint, and I fixed that with a thought.

Slowly I approached the slave pens, some of the slaves cowered near the back and I turned off the helmets voice modulation.

"Don't worry, I'm here to free you, I've just got to clear the buildings and then I'll release you." I spoke calmly, trying to reassure them.

I turned quickly. There were only two buildings that weren't blocked off…

And in one, I found a man in silk evening wear holding a pistol, he started to speak so I didn't shoot him just yet.

"Who the fuck are you asshole!"

"I'm E***, and I've come to free the slaves."

"You've come to! What the fuck asshole! Those are mi-"

"Yours? Good to know."

I squeezed the trigger and his face exploded outwards… As he fell on his back he wouldn't be getting blood on his clothes, not that I'd wear them.

The only other building of note was the one marked clinic, which had another person hiding with a pistol in clothes, this one had the sense to shoot first rather than speak not that it helped her. The barracks and toilets were empty, it seemed everyone else decided to die together.

-XXXX-

I approached the gates helmet off and key in hand.

"Come on. Freedom awaits as soon as I get those collars off."

"Your serious!"

"Oh thank god!"

"Freedom? For the waists! Pah!"

"Shut up bread box."

"Damn… I always thought mungos were crazy."

"Well this mungo just came to save your ass and wipe a slaver settlement off the map.

"Well what do you know, not all mungos are horrible."

"What about Rory, he's in the box!"

"The what? I've got a key marked that."

"The rad shelter, there's a boy trapped in there."

"Give me a sec."

Almost everyone sounded joyful or relieved, smiles on their faces. And I got to feel the additional toy of being a unstoppable juggernaut pulling off a one man army mook horror show, even if the mooks weren't that plentiful.

All that turned bitter in my mouth as I stared down at Rory's cooked body, his entire body red from having been trapped in the metal tin can, and the smell nearly made me retch as I backed away quickly… Slowly the others slaves realized what must have been in there and began cursing or shaking their heads.

"Alright. Gather up their weapons, come over one at a time, I'll look at removing those collars… And getting you lot someplace safe."

As I spoke I couldn't help but think about the boy who would be never going to anywhere safe ever again… Perhaps if I'd just been faster. If I hadn't been so slow, if I had come here on the way to the Citadel… Perhaps he wouldn't be dead.

* * *

Chapter!

My game isn't actually modded and the game does try to provide a challenge... Which means I used a minigun and Gatling laser [curtosy of a SM master] instead... And plenty of stims and cover... Wouldn't you know power armor meant to make people near immortal to small doesn't help you anywhere near as much.

Anyhow, enjoy the chapter.


	20. Chapter 20: It takes all sorts

Have you ever traveled with children? They wine. They complain. They generally make life miserable.

Apparently the kids I had in tow weren't kids, because they didn't…. Hell, after initially finding Squirrel hidden outside of the gates was the only time they acted like kids at all.

But I wouldn't trust kids to have loaded pistols while they were out of eyesight, let alone while I was sleeping.

And I wouldn't be trekking across a radioactive wasteland filled with creatures that seem quite willing to attack on sight… This in itself led to discovery.

Attacking a single man, even in power armor and toting energy weapons. Raider will do that.

Attacking a man in power armor using energy weapons leading 3 people with assault rifles and two with pistols? Bandits will think twice, realise only that 'The Lone Wanderer' is the leader, and realize that attacking is equivalent to suicide…

Oh, and ambushing mutants becomes very easy! Normally it's a hectic minute where we exchange fire. We ambushed a pack of 3 and there were 0 in about… 3 seconds.

If nothing else, it gave me more time to appreciate the brown, and learn that random wastelanders had dreams to. [XYZ] even mentioned a slave railroad that she would be heading to instead of integrating with a town… Each to their own I guess.

-XXXX-

"I don't like leading them here." Squirrel stated.

"They could find the place easily enough… Besides, I want to say hi to Mayor MacCready. Hey, you lot mind waiting outside?"

"Sure. You get paid for your babysitting." Bleak teased.

I gave her the finger as I took off my helmet.

"Ok, kids first. For my safety funnily enough. I'll see you guys in a moment." I waited while [MDK+] walked into the cave, following behind with my right hand out and my left holding my helmet… The cave seemed darker than before…

"What the fuck! Sammy! Penny! Squirrel! How'd you-!" The Mayor sounded rather surprised.

"I gave you my word didn't I?" I walked out into view, smiling.

"Well call me a fucking mungo, you weren't lying.. We thought you died."

"I almost did, but not for the reasons you think… Now you had a Mungo waiting to go to Big Town. He still here?"

"Uh? You mean Sticky? Yea, he's here. Begged us to wait, gave him a week… The the fucking bleeding hearts gave him another three days, he was just packing now."

"Can you ask him to pack extra food, he's got some fellow travelers and as generous as dead slavers are with rations I have slightly less than I expected."

"You wiped them out?"

I nodded, a smile on my face. "Every last one… That was there. I think."

"Fucking hell Mungo… Perhaps it's a good thing we let you in. [MDK2]! Let Sticky know he can stop dragging his fucking feet, he has an escort…" MacCready looked at me with new-found respect.

"Well. This Mungo has more people to help before he can do his own thing, but he'll be waiting outside."

"Mungo wait! I don't know how you fucking did it, but we haven't been attacked since and… Well… You good Mungo."

"Oh, yea. I think all the Supermutants are wiped out, but it's a vault so I probably missed some… There might be some stuff to scavenge… Perhaps I'll see you when you're a Mungo."

I turned and left, happy with a job well done, smile plasted on my now helmeted face… Even if it wasn't quite over yet…

"Yea, there's the mutants to go yet." I glared at the roof of my helmet as the guides voice came through.

"I know that cat. But after then we can probably relax a while."

"You, relax?"

"Oh shut up."

-XXXX-

[POV: Sticky]

He was here, I had my escort! I'd be safe… Leaving my home, but still. I was told they'd meet me further up.

I rounded a corner, starring at the stone walls of home… And almost walked into someone.

"Oh hey… ah…"

Before me was a 7ft tall man made of grey metal.

I felt my knees go week.

"Hello little one. I'm glad to find they sent me another meal." It spoke in deep bass voice.

I felt my knees go.

-XXXX-

[POV: 5 Coloured Walker]

I'm not a bad person am I?

It's not wrong to use the suit like this and laugh at his collapsed form after he faints?

"It is. IT's bad and you should feel bad."

If I could stop laughing I'd probably reply, however I settled for falling over with a loud clang as I kept laughing, footssteps rapidly approaching me.

"E***? Wha-… What's going on!"

"Mungo! Wait… What the fuck's going on?!" That sounded like Squirrel, who was quite panicked… And I couldn't help but keep laughing, waiving one hand to tell them to wait until my laughter settled down, only to begin laughing again… According to the guide it took me 3 minutes while everyone was tense and I was just sucking in air.

"You scared him with your suit didn't you? That deep noise we heard, something about a meal." Squirrel asked accusingly.

"I… Yes… It was… So funny."

"… Mungo."

"You mean… Asshole." I called after her as I slowly got up, eventually throwing [ZNK] over my shoulder, partially steadying against a wall.

"Ok… I take it… You lot have set… Up a temporary… Camp… Oh god that was funny."

"Yea, right. We have, I take it we're settling down for the night?"

"It's like you read my mind. Come on."

-XXXX-

To say my prank was ill received by all parties would be like saying the wasteland is warm or behemoths are big… They did admit it was pretty funny, except for Sticky who pointedly ignored my efforts to apologize or talk to him unless absolutely necessary . He did however have the sense to ask others about the wasteland, though eventually they settled into exchanging questions.

Sticky, was of all things, a poet… He was surprisingly good… The next day the others asked him to hear what he thought of the wasteland from what they told him.

This the waste land,

ground a sea of sand,

where life anchors many roots,

from which to grow it's hardy shoots.

From my home a safest root,

I go to live among the hardest shoots,

where blood is spilled for pleasure.

So know as I walk it's not for my leisure,

I simply walk to the beating drum,

of a war not yet ended.

I smiled at the poem. I considered it a shame that it would probably not find place here, but perhaps when man overcame the wasteland poems like his would be held in high regard… I told him so.

"I doubt anyone will record them. But thank you." He smiled.

Those were the first words he said to me since the trip started, and from there on we kept talking.

Life was good. For at least another couple of hours.

-XXXX-

Big town was better defended than Paradise Falls, but worse than Megaton… It's actually what I'd consider bare minimum to be acceptable given raiders. Cars were stacked in the spaces between houses, there was only one way in… It even had a moat and bridge…

That was too shallow and the entrance was guarded by one man… There was only one man to guard it I knew, but I wasn't supposed to know that yet.

"Sticky! Oh… And others… What's your purpose here?"

Escorting Sticky here. I've also got a bunch of slaves I freed from Paradise falls, they're looking to stay here for now if that's possible.

"I… You probably won't want to. We've been having super mutant attacks."

"Monsters? Monste- Of course there here."

"Do you know where they sleep?"

[!] "I uh… We're not sure. There's an old police station nearby that we think they've settled in… You're not thinking of taking them on are you?"

I pretended to think a moment before I offered.

"My foods running low. If you've some to spare I can head out now. Did you think I was in this get-up for show?"

"I… No, not really. I've seen brotherhood be-… You're the Lone Wanderer aren't you?"

"GNR?"

"Yea, we've heard all about you… We've… The mutants took Red and Shorty recently. I… We'll give you what food we can, but if you can bring her back…"

"I'll leave as soon as you can give me a destination should it be close enough. If they're alive, they'll make it back."

"… Oh yea, the bridge, you lot come on in. Do you have a map?"

"I've a Pip-Boy." I raised my arm, showing him as the others crossed the bridge, various looks of concern and anger on their faces before Pappy came over to me, looking over the map.

"There. They should be there. It's a place called Germantown, most defensible place there is the police station so they're probably where I've marked, if not then they're close."

I looked at the map, thinking.

"I should be there before nightfall, we'll either arrive early morning or shortly after dusk."

-XXXX-

You know that feeling where after going quickly going any slower makes things almost painful?

The others not having Hellfire armor and at one point being kids meant I had to slow down a fair bit, combined with my current conversation… Well time had great big wings.

"No, it's a stupid challenge, I'm not going to handicap myself like that."

"Well how do you expect to learn?" The Guide's voice came through, rather even actually…

"By you actually teaching me instead of being a cryptic little shit occupying my armor."

"I just need to keep you alive. You could take them with an arm bound behind your back."

"All I'd be getting is practice at what I already know."

"Practice makes perfect."

"But useful knowledge would be better. You know what, I'll do your challenge, but you have to teach me an actual spell, not whatever it is I'm managing to pull out of my ass."

"Any spell?"

"Something useful…" I glared at the top of my helm… It's harder than you think.

"Ok. I still be you can't hold onto mana like you think."

"What, it's just remembering the tune based on how I remember it, nothing too it."

"Ok, how about this. You win both, I teach you three useful spells. You win one, I teach you one, you give fail both, I get to tell you to do something while still being a… 'Cryptic shit'. Oh, and any weapon makes you lose."

"… You know what, deal."

"Good. Now you meditate to get it all in your head and I'll wander how you're like this Peter instead of like every other planes walker I know."

"You do that."

Yes, while smart, I'm more than a little petty and prone to childishness… It was why what should have been perhaps a minute meditating became the longest 5 minutes of my life… Though I tapped into the ruins quickly…

I'd assume they were red where this the game.

-XXXX-

I lay on one of the hills overlooking the police station, enjoying my lenses magnification.

"Hey. Guess what." Oh god, he sounded joyful.

Why would he be joyful…

Oh wait.

"Shit fucking ass on a pike!"

"Watch your tone… And hah, victory!"

"I will find a way to make you corporeal and beat you."

It wisely shut up as I returned to my grumbling, shifting in the sands as I watched a couple of mutants.

"I hate you."

"I know. But you've a person to save."

"… I hate you."

I had gone around, but it looked like I'd just be going around, moving in a tight close quarters battle moving through twisting corridors, then entering a surprisingly intact police station, where the mutants would probably be heavily armored.

"So how exactly am I supposed to do this?"

"If you can't do this, then how are you supposed to take on a planes walker of many decades in his home?"

I sighed.

"So, rules were armor, my skills, what I do with magic, and that's it."

"Yes."

"Well then, let's get started."

I rose to my feet shaking off wastesland dust. For a moment I stretched out and began running.

-XXXX-

"You're going to cheat." The guide said accusingly.

"They were your rules." I smiled, hands balled into fists.

I walked with soft but rapid steps through the maze of gate and sandbag.

"Good."

I turned a corner, and there was a super mutant, starring the other way. I increased speed, it turned around, it's face turning to one of shock as I punched it, sending it sprawling backwards into a wall.

It shook it's head clear just in time for me to pick him up, servo's groaning in complain as I threw him, turning quickly and stomping on his pelvis with a sickening crunch, followed with one on his rising head.

"Come on now! I want a challenge!" I shouted into the air, turning back around and beginning to jog, my footfalls loud. And met by anothers.

"HUUUMAN!"

We were both turning in a short section, he had a sledgehammer in his hands, and I just had mine. I stopped near dead turning my momentum into a haymaker straight into the mutants gut, tucking shoulder so his upper body slammed against my shoulder, and with a grunt I extended my arm, throwing him to the ground.

My blood pumped in my ears, I let a savage smile take me.

"Come onnn!"

The mutant slowly got to his feet, turned to face me, and roared. It balled its great meaty fists and swung high, aiming for my head.

I ducked, shoved, stepped forward, put a leg behind his, and punched again, toppling the mutant, with a twist I then kicked him in the side of the head before dancing back, hands low as I watched the mutants slowly rise.

"Not so puny now am I!"

The mutant growled, stepping forward slower as he swung. I deflected his blows a few times before he lunged at me, trying to get his arms around me. I stepped forward and threw my fist, landing dead centre of his head. There was a sickening crack, and explosion of brain matter, and a solid thud as the two of us hit the ground, and I rolled him off me, rising quickly and walking through the maze. After a moment I came to a camp sight, and felt my rage boil at the sight of dismembered body parts, eventually I came to a locked door, an artefact made of reinforced wood with a sturdly lock…

I kicked it in, it exploded in in a cloud of shrapnel.

"So are you going to try some magic?"

"Wait."

I soon heard the footsteps of a pair of super mutants running, both louder than normal and one louder than the other.

I raised my hands before me, and poured the energy into my hands, all my anger, my disgust, my heart pounding adrenalin.

The Guide theorized that my ability meant that I'd be able to fuel my spells through emotion and from people… He'd be right.

As a certain mutant learned when his chest was replaced with a lance of plasma that passed straight through several walls, though he collapsed dead a half second later, unused assault rifle clattering to the ground.

The other came around firing from the hip as he charged, bullets clattering against my armor and the walls, shaking me.

I went for a more traditional plasma this time, flame building in my hand as I brought it up and launched it at the mutant, burning it's skin and setting off ammunition as he slammed into the wall, sliding down and into unconsciousness.

My chest heaved as I breathed, much calmer now.

"It looks like I can't keep up using magic like that."

"Nope. But I'm not helping you."

"No… No you're not."

"I…" If he had eyes he would be glaring at me.

I stuck my tongue out, took a breath, and then lept to side into another room as another mutant came around, mind scrambling as it followed with a shotgun blasting away.

"You can't hide from me!"

"Who says I want to!?"

He stepped around, I smashed my hand on top of the shotgun letting it discharge harmlessly to the ground, and then it punched me.

Do you know how much pain a supermutant feels when it punches solid steel?

Apparently none, given it followed up with punching me in the face and kicking me to a wall.

I had just enough time to groan, think 'I didn't think you could realistically do this shit', get told 'that supper mutants could normally take several plasma blasts to the face', get picked up, and thrown to another wall.

"Hah. Punny man."

I came to watching the super mutant bend over to pick up his shotgun and attach it to a string on his belt before beginning to stomp over… He stopped and smiled as I rose.

"You'll make good meat."

I lent against the wall thinking my dark thoughts of death and ruin, and of him decaying.

He slowly walked over, a confident predator stalking 'dead' prey.

"Goodnight Human… Perhaps make mutant."

It threw a punch at my head.

My hand launched up, fingers gripping his hand as I stopped it to the sound of groaning servos.

Cold rage boiled through me.

"I'm not… On the menu."

I squeezed, the essence of death flowing through me.

His muscles wasted.

His bones became brittle.

His hand became mush.

His heart stopped beating.

He fell to the floor less a hand with a less than solid thud.

I panted as I stood over the mutant.

"Holy shit! How'd you do that!" A man exclaimed.

I turned and saw a man dressed in red, I smiled as I kept panting..

"Hell if I know…" I laughed, a genuine laugh… It was a laugh of triumph and surprise. I was alive, and I never felt so much so before.

* * *

This chapter was fun. It ended cool, there was a laugh... This chapter was just fun.

Anyhow, some notes:

-Yes I changed Sticky and provided a reason for take your time, even as I provided a reason for not taking your time last chapter. I don't think anyone wanted me to portray Sticky as he is in game, because he makes me want to clock him.

-Yes, the poem is mine, all mine. Unless someone already made up one that's the exact same in which place I turn out to be one of the monkeys at the typewriter. If you enjoyed it Yay, because I like writing such things, though it's ending was annoying to write... I wanted to talk about it being a different war but it just didn't work... *Sigh*

-Plenty more lampshading and shout outs to come.

-Yay, I have a new fan, wooo! Enjoy the new chapter.

-I hope you enjoyed my reasoning for land and creature depots, as well as starting without any mana already played [being busy with the living part and trouble holding onto mana respectively]

-If you feel so inclined, you may PM/Review as to if you wish the Walker to fail in his challenge. Given how this chapter ended I'm going no, but if people want to see a yes I may well do so, because I have ideas either way.


	21. Chapter 21: Conflicting Morals

What? It's been a while? Sorry about that, I had a bad case of the writer's block, and the dinkyness of Oasis' side quest didn't really help that, along with it's key topics.

I will say now that this chapter goes around Euthanasia, should any find this to be a sensitive topic, you have been warned, however this will be character/developing/showing… I may post a 'cliff notes' version of this chapter should it be so desired.

As to my personal stance on Euthanasia, it should be just as legal as DNR orders… However it should be strictly controlled/monitored to make sure people don't use it to off each other, I hear it's done that way in Switzerland or someplace like that and some people even go there for it [What sort of Visa do you need for that?].

I'm sorry, due to the nature of this quest, writers block and other things, quality may not be so good… At least my only spelling errors as you would see is because I use Australian English :)/:P.

* * *

After I took my time enjoying the fact I was still alive, Red politely informed me that Shorty had just been taken by the super mutants, who were complaining about hunger….

I don't think I've gone from collapsed half in laughter to walking out of the room deadly serious with intent to kill so fast since…

It took me all of two minutes to stomp through the halls and the few remaining super mutants upstairs, before coming up upon a cook holding a butchers cleaver, and Shorty, both looking terrified as they looked on my plasma pistol. The super mutant cowered, holding Shorty so that his chest was covered, the cleaver at his throat.

"If you kill him, I'll make this painful."

"I go, I let man go."

"Nope, let man go, I let you go."

The mutants head perked up, cleaver going lowering as it moved to retort.

I squeezed, the super mutant only got over his surprise when the pulse was within 20cm of his head… But there was no way he could move fast enough… The mutant died before he hit the ground, brain matter exposed with Shorty scrambling off the mutant cursing using all sorts of words as I just stared at the mutant, lost in myself, berating myself for taking the shot while being glad I did… I didn't even note that I lost the challenge... Or that I was being berated for a moment.

"Are you even listening to me?"

"… No. I'm sorry, just… I left your friend Red in the cells. Come on Food."

"I… Fuck you you big metal… fuck!"

"You're welcome. Come on, I've gotta take you back to Bigtown."

-XXXX-

The next couple of days passed smoothly… By my standards.

Which meant I shared of the towns food, showed them how to fix up the bots and their weapons, making a better ditch and a drawbridge [kinda, more a reinforced board that they moved by hand], and tracked back some mutants to a forward camp that was probably set up by mutants working out of Germantown based on… well, what was found there.

Of course, I couldn't put off the guide forever. Which lead to me getting his orders as I finished bolting myself into my power armor [which had recently seen a new coat of paint].

"You know, I've had fun with the phrasing of this." If a disembodied voice could smile this one would be.

"I bet you've loved it."

"Oh, I did, it was delightful."

"Absolutely."

"Good. Well go on, lay it on me, hit me with your best in cryptic bullshit."

"It's not bullshit… But anyway. Wanderer, you are to bond to the land where life cruelly prolonged bring life among the fields of death."

I stood back, thought, put my helmet on, consulted my Pip-Boy, set a marker, and then walked out the door.

"What, that's it, no 'What the hell are you talking about?'?"

"It's Oasis. I know it's Oasis. I could make up better cryptic crap to name the place. I'll figure out what you mean about bonding later, but I'd go with it being what planes walkers normally do." I couldn't keep smugness from creeping into my voice.

"I hate you…" Ooh I wish I could bottle that to use as a poison.

"You were the one that put a man's life before a challenge."

"You already knew the stakes."

"Fine, go sulk. I've got a long walk ahead of me."

"I hope you trip."

-XXXX-

The most curious thing happened to me as I made my way towards where I thought Oasis was. I mean, I knew it was north, idiots told me that before and I did read the wiki out of interest and such but I didn't… That's getting off topic.

Raiders, when they charge, almost never change their minds, they ready to attack, they become committed… Apparently these guys listened to GNR.

I had just grabbed my pistol, just walking into effective range, and then I saw them all stop, mill around for a second, and run. I'd never met them, and raiders that saw this armor tended to die quickly, and this far north they couldn't of interacted with the brotherhood that much…

As for how I knew the raiders listened to GNR… I found out sometime later, that 3 Dog in all his infinite wisdom, gave a pretty good description of my armor, and then decided to tell people a lot of the things I'd done, and due to some people being able to contact GNR, that included things like single handily wiping out raider camps, before I got the power armor.

The day I learned that, I smiled and thought back to this day, and thought that perhaps the raiders recognised me, and chose to leave with their pants a little browner, instead of redder and filled with holes, not that I aim for their pants… Too small a target assuming it's actually present…

But yes, that was the most interesting thing that happened, and I rather enjoyed it, it put a pip in my step up until I arrived where I was sure Oasis was, courtesy of channelling Rivet City.

-XXXX-

The first thing I noticed was the trees. There were dead trees everywhere, leafless, falling apart, hollow. The place was as dead as any other, and it surrounded the Oasis. I hadn't encountered any life for hours, and my Pip-Boy was pointing to a huge rock formation.

"No, it should still be here. I can't have gotten it killed-"

"You didn't, stop panicking. "

"I-"

"Only read about the place on the internet for the most part and played it through once. Now it's somewhere in those rocks I think."

"I… Thanks."

"Well I am your guide."

"I think I could create a more helpful one."

"You could have, he didn't. Besides, it was his first go and using an unwilling elemental."

I let out a rather, quiet growl as I moved towards the large stone… something, that the guide claimed to know Oasis was within. After a whiles walking I checked my Pip-Boy, turned around. About an hour later, I found a thin path up towards where the marker was and I deleted it, watching the ground as I did so, smiling as it slowly became… greener. I picked up the pace, smiling as for the first time in over a month I saw grass, bushes where you couldn't debate that they were truly green and lively… There was life here.

Along with a man in robes with twigs sticking out.

"Hello Outsider! -"

"Hello Treeminder. Yes, I know Harold is waiting for me."

"Wait- How do you know-?"

"That you have a brotherhood outcast in one of those fancy get ups? Because I do. The door?"

I stopped a couple of meters in front of him.

"Oh… Right… Yes…" The man was reeling from the surprises I left him as he unbolted the wooden door… There was something I was going to have to do first, and I had a feeling the game wasn't anywhere close to the real thing… And I knew it was going to leave a bitter taste in my mouth.

-XXXX-

I strode purposely through the glade as Sapling and the various Treeminders began gathering… True to the game they were all armed but were just wearing cloth… I got half way past the sap containing basin before Tree Father Birch finally caught up to me with his shambling gait, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Wait Outsider-"

"NO!" I roared. I… Channelled something, the wind blew with my voice rustling branches and blowing back his hood as I half turned.

"It's sad enough that your actions have caused Harold to desire death, I don't agree with your idiotic plans, and there is no way I'm drinking that Hallucinogenic tree sap seeing what it's done to you!"

To say my dislike of what I knew of this place was colouring my judgement would be an understatement. I kind of lack any sort of tact except being able to shut up, and my memories of this place were hindering even that… It didn't stop me from noticing everyone had stepped back, Sapling was hiding behind Laurel, and that Linden was aiming his assault rifle at me.

I sighed, rolling my shoulders before I spoke again, much quieter this time.

"The only reason Harold will remain alive beyond this day is because quite frankly Leaf Mother is right, this place needs to spreed. It needs to be protected, and I'll see to that, but the wasteland… The wasteland needs this place, and I'm sure I can help Harold more than any of you can. No do I bust open the door to his grove, or do one of you use the key to open it… And Linden please stop pointing that at me, you know it won't do anything to me in this armor."

"… I'm good at getting lucky shots."

"It would take all of 3 seconds to get over there and break your neck, and you'll find this armor's much better than standard brotherhood armor, so don't tell me your feeling lucky."

There was a moment of silence.

"You… You have the gift of forsight?"

"I… Yes."

"Then go child. Tree Father, this man is true to his words. I saw a man bearing the number 101 upon him extending his hand to the waste land, and under that hand's shadow the land grew. Can you see the numbers on his arms."

"… 101. 21:6… Dammit Popular-" Birch began.

"-Don't cuss at me. You know I'm right. I'm never better than vague, but I'm always right. And I do think he'll be true to his word as to the door… It seems it time to truly look beyond our door."

Slowly, Birch's shoulders slumped.

"Fine… I'll… Follow me."

* * *

Yes, a short chapter... The others should come sooner though! I semi-promise... But I should have a absolute glut of free time in about 2 weeks, so lots of new chapters then. Anyhow, I hope you look forward to the Oasis, 5 Colour Walker style, which should come in three parts.


	22. Chapter 22: Steel Bricks Don't Float

The grove was a place of beauty and wonder, much larger and more colourful than I remembered… But the birds were singing like I remembered, simple pleasant tunes and haunting calls… And here I was, a dour man in power armor stomping through grass which you wouldn't find just about anywhere else, short of Vault 22, but that grass comes with plant-zombies…

"I've never seen an outsider march in so angry, and I only heard you shout no." Harold wheezed, bringing me to a stop.

"What are you waiting for? Come on around, I can't exactly see you."

"Yes, you can… In fact, you tell me what I'm doing now." I began unfastening my helmet.

"What are you talking about? I had a feeling you weren't as-"

"Harold, just tell me what you think I'm doing before I tell you to count how many fingers I'm holding up."

He was quite while I took off my helmet… A few seconds after I finished doing so he spoke up, his wheezing voice tinged with confusion.

"You… took something off, your he- not. Helmet, you took your helmet off."

"Yes. Yes I did. If an outsider asks you how you know their coming, you say it's almost like you can see it, through your leaves. Want to redress that almost."

"I… Mmmm. How do you know this."

"Harold, my stories stranger than yours… I've been rude, give me a moment and then we can look each other in the face."

My steps were eerily quite as I walked around the tree. There was no crunch, just the sound of the suit working as I crushed soft grass underfoot, wishing I could feel it between my toes…

I then called myself stupid, grass makes me itch.

When I came around, I looked up to Harold's one good eye. His body was sort of rolled over, but not curled, almost all of it was covered by bark, just parts of his face showing.

"Well now youngster. I haven't seen a determined look like that for quite a while… You've done things… And yet you don't like what you think you need to do."

Harold simply stated these things as facts, not questions. I couldn't think of a way to answer him, after a moment I looked down, gathering my thoughts.

"I… You want me to kill you. And I would. But, there's much you could do for the wasteland… And you only want to die because those you've been surrounded with… Might have the collective intelligence of your average robot."

"Hmph… It seems you could teach Popular a few things about seeing the future..."

"It's a little more complicated than that… But… If I could… Help you… read with your leaves, see, hear from the other trees of you, would you stay. Would it be reason enough to live, since you wouldn't truly be anchored here, but everywhere where you bring life to?"

"… Could you teach me?"

"I… I don't think so… But I think I can find someone who can… But you managed to tell that I was removing my helmet."

From the way his eye began moving I could tell he was thinking. His lips eventually settled into a pursed position as I waited, him thinking of what to say.

"How long would it take?"

"I… I don't know… But I promise, I'll get them to read stories to you, tell you tales. Even listen to-"

He coughed, and then laughed.

"Boy… I've been around long enough to know that they're not going to listen to me, or you as soon as you're gone… And I've… I've felt Bob move bits of me around. He might end up moving my eyes and… Well that'd be no good."

I slowly nodded.

"I…"

'There are more GECKs. There not perfect, but if you move some into the right hands, the wasteland won't be a wasteland much longer.' That was the guide, whispering in my ear.

"Besides, there are the other trees, they still create others. And then there's the animals, there's actually a fair bit of space in here, though it's nearly full."

"So… I… There's… Other problems."

"Oh?" He sounded surprised.

"I know why other outsiders haven't come back… Your hearts in a cave full of mirelurks, with underwater areas."

"Hmph… So that'd be why the didn't come back, not because they left or because of the others…"

"And there's that water isn't conducive to the functioning of guns and the like."

"Oh… I see."

"There's… There's. I'll try. I'm not sure how well it'll work, but I'll try. You deserve peace."

"I… Hmmm… Well you have my thanks… You may wish to play along with the minders, wouldn't want them to try and stop you."

This was my turn to laugh.

"Yea, try. I hear people make good furtilizer, you may get some fungal growths though."

"And I wouldn't want that."

Harold smiled. It was a wooden smile, but still a smile. I had no doubts my face was just as dour.

"Well then… I've got to play exterminator."

His head seemed to move as I turned to walk around him. He couldn't give or do much, but it was what he could. I knew he was thankful…

I just… There was a difference between believing something should be possible, and doing it yourself…

-XXXX-

"Well, you still siding with Leaf Mother Laurel."

I slowly closed the door, spotting the various tree-minders… Birch to the front.

"Yes. Yes I am."

'You little liar… Who are you lying to.' The Guide's voice whispered in my ear.

'Them. Liniment's need to be rubbed onto the body, and that'd harm the heart. I doubt the container's waterproof… And if there's any realism intact the heart will be completely surrounded by wood, not open to the air.'

'Ahh, smart lad.'

"Thank you child." Laurel stepped forward with Cypress, holding a small jar, with a hole in the top, and a key.

"There's no friction over my decision."

"There is… Some. But we were told that an outsider would come to work His will." Birch spoke slowly and deliberately, trying to keep his face flat… I wasn't a reader the likes you see on TV, but I'm good, to say he was angry and disappointed would be an understatement.

"Well then." I put my helmet on and took my backpack off. "The salve in the bag, Cypress, which way to the caves?"

Laurel smiled as she put the jar into the bag. "Don't get it wet."

"The doors down that path." Cypress pointed.

"Thank you… I've no intention to stay once I've finished my task…" I nodded, putting my bag back on as I moved down the directed path, trying not to curse the birds for being too damn cheery as I made my way to the thick reinforced wooden door. I opened it, walked in and closed it in silence.

-XXXX-

The game doesn't show it, but the various power armours have computers, night vision, air supplies [of course, they shouldn't float]. I took maybe two seconds setting up my helmet's night vision such that my Pip-Boy's tiny light lit up the section of cave I was in, without it's light function activated. I couldn't help but clank though…

It's said the scariest thing in the world is nothing. The tense anticipation where there's nothing where something dangerous should be. The only sounds were mine, the low hum of the fission generator, the slight crunch of steel boot on rough rock, the clank of-

"Guide, you're in my suit. Any chance you can filter my suits sounds?"

"I'm your guide, not a miracle worker, this suit wasn't made for stealth.'

"Just do what you can."

Not a moment later all the suit related sounds became slightly duller, just as they were conducted through the suit, not amplified by the helmet.

"What do you suppose the chance is that the Mirelurks have retreated past a water barrier because of my clanking?"

"High. They aren't stupid, despite what the game might claim..."

Sure enough, it was right. I was eventually met with a large pool which reached to a wall, no doubt with a hidden tunnel in the mostly stagnant water. I may not be an expert, but the swirling suggested someone just passed through it.

"Fuck me with a supersledge."

"I'll get right on that. In the meantime, you've a puddle to deal with."

"Puddle?"

"You're a planeswalker aren't you?" His synthesised voice managed to sound confused.

"Anything helpful to add."

The hum of the suits generator answered me.

"Right…. Okay… So blue governs flight… And there's a card that carries water sooo…."

"Give-"

"Sush."

If memory served my right [I couldn't exactly consult the various card databases], there were spells that could cover creatures with bubbles of water. Were I to create a bubble of air around myself, I'd just get stuck at the bottom. But If I could do that and fly, I wouldn't be stuck, and my gear wouldn't get wet.

"That, and I won't have to swim."

"Why's that a problem? Other than the monkey suit."

"Sush, thinking aloud. Now then…"

My suits engines hum was supplanted, I waved my hand [for some reason], once around, and once up, thinking quite clearly what I wanted.

Then to test, I thought to fly, and instinctively I jumped, and hovered quite happily a meter in the air.

"Well… that's part two… Part one…. Uhh… How am I getting dow-"

I felt my knees buckle slightly as I hit groung.

"Ah, thought controlled. Ok then."

Carefully stepping forward, I then attempted to move my hand through the water, smiling as it was repelled perhaps 10cm from my hand.

"Ok…. Umm… Time for a dip…"

"Warning, Heart Rate Elevat-" My suit started talking woodenly, causing me to jump.

"Stop that!"

"What, you're in you're ideal body, unlike you're useless one. You can swim here."

"Wait, really, there's no open water in the vault ho- ah!"

My question was interrupted when I turned, forgetting I was in the 'person' I was talking to, causing me to promptly fall to the bottom of the water, not slowed by it at all as it was pushed out of my way, causing me to slam into the ground… For a while I stared in horror at the churning muck that was the water above me as air bubbled up from me.

"Don't stay here, you're spell will end. Move it walker, find the exit."

I… I quickly turned and scurried… I don't do well with deep water. I normally don't deal well with fear or life and death situations in general, but it seemed that deep [defined as deeper than I was tall] water had managed to carry through as something I was afraid of. I was basically scrambling against walls and leaping in trying to find the opening, eventually orienting myself on the other side, still panicking as a pair of Mirelurks considered me, and then rammed me back into the water, while staying out themselves. Not a moment later I was back out, tackling a Mirelurk, which was now alone [as attested to by the sound of a retreating Mirelurk], and with adrenalin and machine reinforced strength I reduced it into a fine paste, and then the rock into a section of jagged cracked ground which the paste and mush was forced into… After a while I looked around to find myself alone in the tunnel, my breathing and heart beating overwhelming all other sounds.

* * *

It only took a week :p

Sorry for the short chapter. The next chapter will probably take as long and not be much longer, so I apologise in advance. My glut of time has been less glutty than I would like.


	23. Chapter 23: Someone Leaves a Wasteland

"Come on, get your gun out." The guides voice cut through my bodies sounds.

Beat.

Beat Beat.

Beat.

"Isn't this what you dreamed of? You're even in an ideal body."

Beat.

Beat Beat.

Beat.

Beat Beat.

"Stand up at least."

Beat.

"What is it to be a human?"

Beat.

Beat Beat.

"To endure… To adapt… To win…"

My voice was hoarse, but as I said it, I felt my muscles loosen. I finally craned my head up.

"Good. So you've endured, fear's past but you won't be alone long. You want to win don't you?.. Stand up."

I reached out to the wall and stood up, my hand gripping the wall tight to steady yourself.

"Now gun out. Yep, that's it, forward, breath. It's dark, but you're dry. There are foes to cut you up, so what do you have?"

"I've got a gun."

"Good, What sort of gun?"

"A plasma pistol."

"Good, so you've adapted for the situation, you never touched water right?"

"… True."

"Ok, so you've endured, you've adapted. What do you do now?"

"I… I win."

My legs slowly pushed myself forward, my eyes darting around… Seconds ticked by, my heart slowed but my breath remained heavy, if steady.

"Guide?"

"Yes E****?"

"Thank you."

-XXXX-

The… The caves below Oasis weren't as winding, or as cluttered with outsiders as I thought, except for a single side passage past the first water… It seemed that that's where those that dared to swim got dumped, their ammunition wet and useless, their armor water logged and their blades having not met the challenge that was the mirelurks.

I figure that's why they seemed so confused about me as I continued.

Not a minute after I began walking, I was rushed. There were maybe five or six mirelurks, and one of the human looking kings… At least, that's how they're portrayed in game, they're much more alien in… Well, real life. They stopped as soon as I began shooting, and recovered their wits only after I killed four of them. They immediately retreated, and much to my pleasure, except for the odd cautious one after pools, they actively avoided me.

However the complex was much more labyrinthine. I spent hours down their searching, going down side passages, avoiding the few places where it looked like the mirelurks gathered to charge [likely nests, especially since they didn't follow]. My stomach rumbled and only empty banter that I couldn't recall without magic kept me from hallucinating sounds other than my suit.

And then I came across it. Not necessarily his heart, but a large woody container, surrounded by roots.

"That… Could that be it?"

"What do you think."

"Sanely, yes. This way his organs aren't actually open to the world."

"Good. Do you trust the suits map?"

"I… Yes. I trust it to find me out."

"Well then… You did give your word to Harold."

Silence reined in the chamber. I brought my gun up and shot, carefully trying to reveal any organs within, and there I found several. Heart... Lungs... Brain...

I figured the tree actually supplied his air and blood, but with his brain gone… Even if the tree lived, he wouldn't actually be alive more, no more suffering…

I… I accepted his choice, and with carefully lined up shots, I reduced the brain to so much cooked meat and ionized gas, while leaving the other organs mostly intact… With luck, it'd be the best of both worlds, at worst… It would be painless.

-XXXX-

[POV: Harrold]

My head suddenly felt warm… And open. And my chest.

"Oww… That… He must be about to do it… That really hurts… Come on."

One of the tree minders, Poplar I think, looked up at me, confused.

"Don't worry. You know he's here to do my will… It just… Hur-"

-XXXX-

[POV: Poplar]

He must have thought me-

What's wrong with his eye?

His eye opened wide, it then spasmed once, and was still.

"I didn't think he was ever metaphorical… But I saw the tree blooming…"

I furrowed my eyes.

"Well… It's always been vague."

I continued my weaving, and then suddenly my vision blurred.

Blooming trees.

Silence. Confusion. Concern. Anger.

Spreading life.

Red Fertilizer.

My mouth moved of it's own accord.

"The forest needs a champion. The man who spoke what he thought where the chip changed hands."

…

'I need to write this down.'

Slowly I got up and gathered my weavings, hobbling towards the gate.

-XXXX-

[POV: 5 Coloured Walker]

"Well… That's it." I said, depressed.

"Not how you imagined it huh?"

"More like exactly how… I would need to go through their nest if I was to leave the faster route the game suggests, but that's not happening. How's the stealth module?"

"It has a few moments, but you're in power armor."

"I know, just keeping it in mind in case there are pitchforks."

I slowly turned and trudged back. I wasn't there to see the woody section heal unusually fast, even though the brain never would… I wouldn't be there for the next blooming either.

Instead, I walked slowly and carefully. I didn't panic as much leaving through the water as I did on the way in, but it still wasn't exactly pleasant.

"Well… You've still got my order."

"I'll work it out."

There was a silence between us as I kept moving, joints clanking, a single small mirelurk following, not as quietly as it thinks.

"You want to leave."

It wasn't a question… But then again, only an idiot couldn't tell.

"Let the wasteland solve it's own problems."

"So you would just walk out on the wasteland? With all the good you could do left undone? I thought you-"

"Yea, good moral person. Someone else can come and play hero."

"Well how do you intend to support yourself? Dreamwalk and take someone else's life?"

"I'll get by. And that would relinquish this body to it's previous inhabitant… And I take over someone about to die by default you said."

My guide was silent as I kept walking, with a thought channelling the mana and dropping into the water below, taking slow calming breaths as I walked through more now turbulent water.

"… I think I'll see him one last time…"

-XXXX-

The grass of the grove bent quietly underfoot.

"Harold?"

The birds sung just as brightly.

The sun shone such that it perhaps haloed it.

… The puddles at least still sent my Geiger ticking.

When I moved around to see his face… He looked surprised, slightly pained… But the corner of his lips…

I wasn't a specialist, but he was happy. The eyes, that was probably just due to his dying… But… Pain. Releif. Joy… All shown on his face. I looked down, and there was… Something brown, with a piece of paper.

'They won't be coming in for a while. I got them to leave you alone. You may not want this, but I see that you'll need it.'

Signed, Poplar.

"Well… See is a bloomseer after all."

"This world is one run on belief… And a bit of mockery." The guide offered up.

"Mmm… Well… Good bye Harold… Perhaps if heavens a place that doesn't work like the various bibles claim."

I reached out and rested a hand on Bob's bark, near Harolds face… I would remember this place.

A tear rolled down my eye. And for a moment I felt emptier.

And then I saw with the eyes of the forest.

I saw the wastes, and thought it a shame they were empty.

I felt the dry soil, with nutrients untapped and felt both hungry and sated.

I felt the moisture undeath Oasis' rocks and I felt my thirst slacked.

I felt everything, all in tune, all was right.

And that little bit of me, I got back.

"This isn't just another forest." I saw the guide, back in the form of a cat, a large black one, legs around a small branch as it lay down, it's form shadowy as it looked at me. I could see it from all around.

"It's named Oasis. It's a place of growth, of nurturing. If it was just another forest it'd be called some forest, and if it was just a Oasis it wouldn't be named, or would have someone else's name before it."

The birds sung my understanding.

"Feel it in you? That's a bond. Planeswalker's carry lots of little bonds, and a few big ones, particularly for special places."

The wind blew through my branches which moved slightly.

"Iiiiiihs…. Seeaaccaaall"  
"You might even be able to do this later… But I think you wanted to leave?"

A bird chirped near the cat.

"Well… I'm not sure how dreamwalkers move outside of guided dreams or those for specific purposes… Excluding actually walking… You're on your own here kid, I'm just here for the ride."

"Cooooooraaaaanaaa."

"Yea, a little like her, and actually in your head now…" The guide turned it's head.

"You can call me Monica though…"

"Moooiiiaaa…. Iiiii Liiiiiiee."

"Yea yea… So what's it gonna be big boy?"

I thought… I didn't need instruction on how to be a walker. I needed instruction on magic… And fighting… I knew how to shoot and about cover… And a body was something I could comeby for when I was ready for him. And I didn't want something I remembered all the twists and turns to… Something older… No. Not something I make up myself, that may not actually exist, and no need to afflict myself on countless others…

I needed time to think, time to…

I entered the mind of the trees.

-XXXX-

[POV: Carlos Smith]

It had finally left his mind. Both of them. He was free.

He was glad at first, when they took over for him, kept him alive, but now he was glad he was finally free.

However, right now he stood before someone he killed. Power armor or no he was not staying here. And so faking the same sombre steps of the man who was in him before, Carlos left Oasis, with no intention of returning.

And no clue what in the hell he was doing. Or how the hell any of this had happened... Or even where the damn robes now were, not that anyone sane would wear them instead of this fine steel suit unless they needed to sneak around.

* * *

Did I say it'd be a while?

I'm just going to stop saying things like that, I have no clue how much time I'll ever have, or my ability to procrastinate.

In other news, I said 10-15, have 7. I'll look to neatening up and fixing previous chapters later. I've either got to get my hands on the game I was/am thinking of or I've got to settle on another, in either case, don't expect a chapter that continues from this for a little while. [I will post a chapter I intend on deleting in this story to let you know though, have no fear the few of you who like this story enough to subscribe!]

I do have another fic that I'm going to start up, but that's one I'm doing slowly and will be rather planned... I think. If you can't tell, this one just sorta flows for the most part, and yes I'll get to the guy that 5CW is pissed at. Either in the second or as the third story/chapter/thing.


	24. Chapter 24: Learning to be a Hero

You know, I did say a while.

Anyhow, you can now find the next story in this series, 'Teaching a Wanderer', on my profile.

And in other news, I've finally gotten around to fixing up this story, if you notice errors in chapters I've stated to be revised please PM me so I can correct them.

-XXXX-

To my knowledge, the Hero school of Neverwinter was started with the Wailing Death. And so, thinking of schools I might learn at, I thought perhaps that of the game Fable would be best. However when I walked, I chose a rather silly thought to guide my sleep, after all, Monica did say guided dreams did work to transport me.

I chose, 'Take me to where I would have the time to reach my potential, to train my abilities, to become a hero.'

I should have been more specific… I didn't know I was a genie.


End file.
